The upcoming UFC Mexico event features a highly anticipated rematch between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega, set to unfold this Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. This bout follows their first encounter, which ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury to Ortega, leaving fans eager for a conclusive showdown.
Brain Ortega Taps Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico
“El Pantera” enters the fight with a record of 19-4(1), having experienced a mix of highs and lows in his recent outings. After securing a victory by submitting Josh Emmett and a TKO win over Brian Ortega in their first fight, Rodriguez faced a setback with a TKO loss to Alexander Volkanovski in a title bout at UFC 290. Despite the loss, Rodriguez’s performance against top-tier opponents has solidified his reputation as a formidable featherweight, especially with his speed and striking accuracy on display.
Brian Ortega
“T-City” holds a 13-3(1) record, and has faced some of the best in the featherweight division, including a unanimous decision loss in a title fight against Volkanovski and a TKO defeat to Max Holloway. The injury in their first match against Rodriguez was a disappointing moment for Ortega, who looks to rebound and prove his capabilities, particularly his exceptional jiu-jitsu skills, which are among the best in the division. He has shown time and time again that he can compete with the top of the division, both on the feet and on the ground.
In their initial matchup, Rodriguez used his striking, speed and accuracy to dominate on the feet. However, Ortega managed to control Rodriguez in the clinch and showed promise with his ground game before the unfortunate injury occurred. The rematch presents Rodriguez with the task of maintaining the fight on the feet, where he has the advantage, while Ortega will likely aim to bring the fight to the ground, leveraging his jiu-jitsu expertise.
The fight is expected to be a strategic battle, with Rodriguez favoured due to his striking ability and performance in the earlier rounds of their first encounter. However, Ortega’s grappling presents a significant threat, making him a valuable pick for those considering the odds. This rematch not only offers both fighters a chance for redemption but also promises to be an exciting clash of styles that could go in many directions.
What Unfolded at UFC Mexico
One of the weirdest starts occurred to a fight after Brian Ortega rolled his ankle while Bruce Buffer was introducing him.
Ortega pressured forward from the opening the bell, but was clipped early from Yair Rodriguez and dropped. Ortega managed to survive the onslaught for a minute or too before being floored from a Rodriguez leg kick. Both men on the mat and Rodriguez is in Ortega’s guard hammering down ground and pound, before making a mistake. Ortega managed to finish the round on top and land some blows of his own, but a dominant showing from Yair Rodriguez who nearly got ‘T-City’ out of there.
Ortega comes out pushing the pace looking to close the kicking range and implement some of his own boxing, eventually shooting a takedown and being in a dominant position in half-guard. Ortega is right back in the fight, and has Yair Rodriguez cut after landing some ground and pound to close out the second round. Both men busted up heading into the third round.
The third-round kicked off, and Ortega seen a clear path to victory, and took Rodriguez straight back to the mat, and within seconds, and a slick transition submits Rodriguez pulling of an incredible comeback win.
Official result: Brain Ortega def. Yair Rodriguez by submission via arm-triangle-choke in round three.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
