UFC Is Targeting Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez For November 13 Main Event
Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez may be going head-to-head in the octagon after all.
UFC President Dana White is looking to rebook the two featherweight fighters on November 13 at a location and venue to be determined, and pending finalization. White mentioned the plan in an interview Tuesday with TSN Sports.
If finalized, the match-up is expected to headline the event.
It’s not a done deal yet, but per Dana White, the UFC is looking to re-book Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez as the main event for UFC Fight Night on November 13.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 3, 2021
The bout was originally in the works in May and scheduled for July 17 in Las Vegas, but it was pulled from the card after Holloway suffered an undisclosed injury.
Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) is returning after a striking performance against Calvin Kattar, which many say could arguably be one of the greatest performances in UFC history. “Blessed” Holloway punched his way to a unanimous decision in the January match; he landed a UFC record 445 total strikes in a five-round decision.
With the win over Katter, the 29-year-old bounced back from two consecutive title fight losses to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Rodriguez (13-22 MMA, 8-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since a decision victory over Jeremy Stephens in October 2019. The Mexican fighter’s only loss was handed by former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in 2017. He’s since gone 2-0 with wins over Stephens and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Both stand in UFC’s top five rankings with Holloway at No. 1 and Rodriguez at No. 3.
The winner of this bout might have a shot at fighting for the UFC featherweight title against the winner of UFC 266’s Volkanovski versus Brian Ortega fight, which is set for September 4.
Here’s what the November 13 lineup could look like:
- Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez
- Philipe Lins vs Ovince Saint Preux