Pumping the Brakes on Yair Rodriguez's Trajectory
Pumping the Brakes on Yair Rodriguez's Trajectory
By Peter CarrollYair Rodriguez banked his fifth consecutive UFC win on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Throughout the week, the 23-year-old made the case
By Peter Carroll
Yair Rodriguez banked his fifth consecutive UFC win on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Throughout the week, the 23-year-old made the case that he's the star the UFC has been looking for to bolster their Latin American market. A multilingual, charming prospect, his five-round "Fight of the Night" winning performance over Alex Caceres was the icing on the cake for the Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter.
A win in his first headline bout under the promotional banner has many clamoring for a step-up in competition. Despite the well-earned split-decision win over Caceres, the performance does not warrant a dramatic shift in Rodriguez's trajectory in the direction of the championship elite.
His first victory in a five-round main event is a tremendous feat, and the experience will likely prove invaluable to him as he continues his journey toward the division's gold. The fight did not take away from Rodriguez's status as a future title contender, but it did highlight some weaknesses in his game that need to be addressed before he can mix up it with competitors at the top of the division.
Rodriguez was at his most enthralling during the opening two rounds.
Majestically spinning through the air before connecting with Caceres, the audience roared with appreciation of the featherweight young gun. Caceres struggled to close the distance enough to score as Rodriguez reestablished his range with a dynamic barrage of shots.
Related: Rodriguez: Hard-Knock Life to Rising Star
In round three, Caceres started to fight on his own terms. With Rodriguez's explosive techniques wearing him over the opening 10 minutes, the "The Ultimate Fighter" alum closed the distance and delivered some punishing shots. Rodriguez was visibly stunned by his unorthodox counterpart on a number of occasions before the final bell.
Rodriguez's techniques require explosive effort, and due to the frequency he was throwing his elaborate kicks, it wasn't much of a surprise that he seemed so drained after the opening 10 minutes. Should he be required to fight in another main event, his first headline bout should see him be more selective with his shots.
While his gravity-defying movements are great to watch, the Caceres clash also highlighted that Rodriguez needs to add some new weapons.
After the opening 10 minutes in Salt Lake City, Rodriguez began to use the same flamboyant techniques over and over, and slower and slower.
At times, Rodriguez looked like he was being controlled by someone who had been shown how to perform two special moves in one of those old-school "rock-em, sock-em" video games, and repeatedly button-smashed the same combinations. Caceres became warier of his advances, which made it more difficult for Rodriguez to land the techniques as the fight wore on.
Furthermore, when Caceres managed to get inside to land punches, Rodriguez seemed to lack fundamental boxing skills. Caceres is a very capable boxer and Rodriguez was quite fatigued, but it was reason for concern.
There were plenty of people calling for a meeting between Cub Swanson and Rodriguez following their winning performances in Salt Lake City. But with Swanson's status at the top of the division, his unique entries, and proficiency in the pocket, Tatsuya Kawajiri could be a better test at this time for the future title prospect.
We have yet to see Rodriguez's style contend against a grinding wrestling style like Kawajiri's. The Japanese fighter's bull-headed pursuit of takedowns would be fantastic to see against the insanity of Rodriguez's tae kwon do, and a win would answer questions fans have regarding his grappling capabilities.
Certainly, there is no point in rushing. The featherweight could be worth his weight in gold to the promotion, and it's definitely going to be exciting to see what they do with Rodriguez next.
Yair Rodriguez banked his fifth consecutive UFC win on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Throughout the week, the 23-year-old made the case that he's the star the UFC has been looking for to bolster their Latin American market. A multilingual, charming prospect, his five-round "Fight of the Night" winning performance over Alex Caceres was the icing on the cake for the Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter.
A win in his first headline bout under the promotional banner has many clamoring for a step-up in competition. Despite the well-earned split-decision win over Caceres, the performance does not warrant a dramatic shift in Rodriguez's trajectory in the direction of the championship elite.
His first victory in a five-round main event is a tremendous feat, and the experience will likely prove invaluable to him as he continues his journey toward the division's gold. The fight did not take away from Rodriguez's status as a future title contender, but it did highlight some weaknesses in his game that need to be addressed before he can mix up it with competitors at the top of the division.
Fuel for the Fire
Rodriguez was at his most enthralling during the opening two rounds.
Majestically spinning through the air before connecting with Caceres, the audience roared with appreciation of the featherweight young gun. Caceres struggled to close the distance enough to score as Rodriguez reestablished his range with a dynamic barrage of shots.
Related: Rodriguez: Hard-Knock Life to Rising Star
In round three, Caceres started to fight on his own terms. With Rodriguez's explosive techniques wearing him over the opening 10 minutes, the "The Ultimate Fighter" alum closed the distance and delivered some punishing shots. Rodriguez was visibly stunned by his unorthodox counterpart on a number of occasions before the final bell.
Rodriguez's techniques require explosive effort, and due to the frequency he was throwing his elaborate kicks, it wasn't much of a surprise that he seemed so drained after the opening 10 minutes. Should he be required to fight in another main event, his first headline bout should see him be more selective with his shots.
While his gravity-defying movements are great to watch, the Caceres clash also highlighted that Rodriguez needs to add some new weapons.
Broadening the Arsenal
After the opening 10 minutes in Salt Lake City, Rodriguez began to use the same flamboyant techniques over and over, and slower and slower.
At times, Rodriguez looked like he was being controlled by someone who had been shown how to perform two special moves in one of those old-school "rock-em, sock-em" video games, and repeatedly button-smashed the same combinations. Caceres became warier of his advances, which made it more difficult for Rodriguez to land the techniques as the fight wore on.
Furthermore, when Caceres managed to get inside to land punches, Rodriguez seemed to lack fundamental boxing skills. Caceres is a very capable boxer and Rodriguez was quite fatigued, but it was reason for concern.
Swanson vs. Rodriguez?
There were plenty of people calling for a meeting between Cub Swanson and Rodriguez following their winning performances in Salt Lake City. But with Swanson's status at the top of the division, his unique entries, and proficiency in the pocket, Tatsuya Kawajiri could be a better test at this time for the future title prospect.
We have yet to see Rodriguez's style contend against a grinding wrestling style like Kawajiri's. The Japanese fighter's bull-headed pursuit of takedowns would be fantastic to see against the insanity of Rodriguez's tae kwon do, and a win would answer questions fans have regarding his grappling capabilities.
Certainly, there is no point in rushing. The featherweight could be worth his weight in gold to the promotion, and it's definitely going to be exciting to see what they do with Rodriguez next.