The UFC’s featherweight division just got hotter with the announcement of Max Holloway taking on Yair Rodriguez this summer. The matchup is expected to occur at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 17th.
Both Max and Yair are two of the most exciting strikers in the UFC. The pair additionally excite fans due to their urgent nature of moving forward and throwing an array of devastating combinations.
Holloway vs. Rodriguez Set for the Summer
News of the matchup was made official by ESPN MMA directly from UFC President Dana White.
Max Holloway will meet Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight main event on July 17, Dana White told @bokamotoESPN.
Contracts have not been signed, but UFC is close to finalizing the bout, additional sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qbWf9woTBl
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 27, 2021
“Max Holloway will meet Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight main event on July 17, Dana White told
@bokamoto ESPN. Contracts have not been signed, but UFC is close to finalizing the bout, additional sources told ESPN.”
Tale of the Tape
Holloway took on Calvin Kattar in a featherweight main event during UFC on ABC 1. The broadcast also marked the returns of fans in attendance since March of 2020 due to coronavirus. The brand new Ethiad Arena held a small number of fans as the card finishes on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
During the match, Max applied his trademark pressure to completely decimate Kattar throughout five rounds, with the official result being a unanimous decision (50-43, 50-43, 50-42). After the fight, Max spoke with Ariel Helwani of ESPN about the contest. As well as potentially moving up in weight to 155lbs and even possibly 170lbs.
Yair will return to the octagon for the first time since 2019. Rodriguez had to serve a 6-month suspension from USADA due to failing to update his whereabouts form with the organization. Throughout that time, fans were teased and deprived of a potential fight between Yair and Zabit Magomedsharipov, which never came to fruition.
After serving the suspension, Yair was eligible to compete on March 8th, 2021. Now that he and Holloway will square off, the result of the match could mean #1 contender implications.