Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo (born October 6, 1992) is a Mexican professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. He currently competes in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). Rodríguez has been with the UFC since 2014 after winning '' The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America'' tournament. As of July 18, 2022, he is #2 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Early life

Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo was born and raised in

Parral, Chihuahua Hidalgo del Parral is a city and seat of the municipality of Hidalgo del Parral in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is located in the southern part of the state, from the state capital, the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua. As of 2015, the city ...

, Mexico to Rigoberto Rodríguez Olivas and Norma Alicia Portillo. Rodríguez started

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. ...

at age five.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Rodríguez made his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut on October 10, 2011, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 8, when he fought Jonatan Guzmán and won via unanimous decision. On March 10, 2012, he fought Carlos Ricardo at The Supreme Cage Fighting 1. He won via third round

submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...

(triangle choke). Rodríguez then fought Luis Roberto Herrera on December 12, 2012, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 13. He lost via first round knockout. Rodríguez next faced Édgar Juárez on February 16, 2013 at Mexican Fighter Promotions 14. He won the fight via first-round knockout. His final fight before he entered the UFC was against Angelo Durante on April 4, 2014, at NP: High Altitude Face Off 6. Rodríguez won the fight via arm-bar in round one.

The Ultimate Fighter

In May 2014, it was revealed that Rodríguez would be a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, competing for "Team Velasquez". In his first fight on the show, Rodríguez defeated Humberto Brown in the quarterfinals via submission (triangle choke). In the semifinals, Rodríguez defeated Rudolfo Rubio via submission (strikes) to reach the finals.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rodríguez made his official UFC debut on November 15, 2014, at UFC 180, facing Leonardo Morales in The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight finals. Rodríguez defeated Morales via unanimous decision to become the tournament winner. For his second fight with the promotion, Rodríguez faced

Charles Rosa Charles Rosa (born August 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Charles is of Italian descent and, the son of Chucky and Mar ...

on June 13, 2015, at UFC 188. He won the fight via split decision. Rodríguez received his first '' Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Rodríguez faced

Dan Hooker Daniel Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF ...

on October 3, 2015, at

UFC 192 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Rodríguez faced Andre Fili on April 23, 2016, at

UFC 197 ''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the second round and was awarded his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Rodríguez faced Alex Caceres on August 6, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 92. He won the fight by split decision. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors''.'' Rodríguez faced B.J. Penn on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. Rodríguez won the fight via TKO in the second round. Afterwards, he was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Rodríguez faced Frankie Edgar on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211. He lost the fight via TKO (doctor stoppage) after the second round due to swelling on his left eye. On May 10, 2018, it was reported that Rodríguez was released from the UFC after allegedly declining two fights. Three weeks later, Rodríguez announced that he and UFC officials worked out their differences and that he was back on the roster. Rodríguez was expected to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228. However, Rodríguez pulled out of the fight on August 23 citing injury. In late October, Rodríguez agreed to replace Frankie Edgar and fight

Chan Sung Jung Jung Chan-sung ( ko, 정찬성; born March 17, 1987), anglicized as Chan Sung Jung and better known by his ring name The Korean Zombie, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He currently competes in the Featherweight ...

on November 10, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 139, after Edgar withdrew due to injury. Rodríguez won the fight by knockout via reverse elbow at 4:59 in the fifth round; the latest knockout in UFC history. He was awarded the ''Fight of the Night'' and ''Performance of the Night'' awards. The knockout went on to win accolades as the knockout of the year from many media sources. Rodríguez faced Jeremy Stephens on September 21, 2019, in the main event at

UFC Fight Night 159 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. The bout ended in a no contest just 15 seconds into the first round after Rodríguez accidentally swatted Stephens in the left eye, rendering him unable to continue. Rodríguez faced Jeremy Stephens in a rematch on October 18, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 6. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Rodríguez was scheduled to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175. However, Rodríguez pulled out with an ankle injury. On December 3, 2020, UFC anti-doping administrator

USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

announced that Rodríguez had been suspended for 6 months, retroactive to September 8, for failing to notify USADA of his whereabouts and being unavailable for drug testing. He became eligible to resume fighting on March 8, 2021. Rodríguez was scheduled to face Max Holloway on July 17, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 26. Rodríguez's return was delayed once more, as it was reported on June 17, 2021, that Holloway was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. The bout was rescheduled on November 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 197. Rodríguez lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Rodríguez faced Brian Ortega on July 16, 2022, at UFC on ABC 3. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one after Ortega suffered a dislocated shoulder, which rendered him unable to continue. Rodríguez is scheduled to face Josh Emmett for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship on February 12, 2023, at UFC 284.

Personal life

Rodríguez has one brother and one sister. He is also a cousin of

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

boxer Misael Rodríguez.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America Tournament Winner ** Fight of the Night (Five times) ** Performance of the Night (Three times) ** Latest knockout in UFC history (4 minutes 59 seconds of Round 5) **2018 Knockout of the Year vs.

* Mexican Fighters Promotions ** FMP Featherweight Championship (One time) * '' MMA Fighting'' **2018 Knockout of the Year vs.

* '' MMAJunkie.com'' **2018 Knockout of the Year vs.

**2019 October Fight of the Month vs. Jeremy Stephens *''CombatPress.com'' **2018 Knockout of the Year vs.

*''MMADNA.nl'' **2018 Knockout of the Year vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 14–3 (1) , Brian Ortega , TKO (shoulder injury) , UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:11 ,

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the 2 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–3 (1) , Max Holloway , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 (1) , Jeremy Stephens , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 12–2 (1) , Jeremy Stephens , NC (accidental eye poke) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 ,

, KO (elbow) , UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 , Frankie Edgar , TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC 211 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , B.J. Penn , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:24 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Alex Caceres , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Caceres , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Andre Fili , KO (head kick) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:15 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 188 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Leonardo Morales , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 180 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Angelo Duarte , Submission (armbar) , NP: High Altitude Face Off 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 ,

Alamosa, Colorado Alamosa is a home rule municipality and the county seat of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 9,806 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Col ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Édgar Juárez , KO (flying knee) , Mexican Fighter Promotions 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:13 ,

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Roberto Herrera , KO (punches) , Mexican Fighter Promotions 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 ,

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Carlos Ricardo , Submission (triangle choke) , The Supreme Cage 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:50 ,

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is ancho ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Edgar Balderrama , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Jueves DIC 22 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jonatan Guzmán , Decision (unanimous) , Mexican Fighter Promotions 8 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

, Mexico , , -

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Rodolfo Rubio Perez , TKO (punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America , (airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:55 ,

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

, Nevada , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Humberto Brown Morrison , Submission (triangle choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America , (airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:18 ,

, Nevada , , -

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Yair Living people Mexican male mixed martial artists Mexican male taekwondo practitioners Featherweight mixed martial artists Sportspeople from Chihuahua (state) People from Parral, Chihuahua 1992 births Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters