Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria isn’t impressed with Yair Rodriguez’s fighting style, despite the Mexican contender’s recent win at UFC 314.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who recently vacated his 145-pound title, is targeting an immediate title shot at lightweight against Islam Makhachev. With his focus shifting divisions, a fight with Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) seems unlikely — but that didn’t stop Topuria from offering a blunt critique.
“I’m not a big fan of him,” Topuria said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “He’s the type of guy that you don’t even need to take him down — he goes to the ground himself. He’s very spectacular, with the striking and kicks and all that, but I’m not a big fan.”
Rodriguez recently earned a solid win over Patricio “Pitbull” Freire at UFC 314 and is campaigning for another shot at the featherweight title. Topuria, however, sees more value in his past opponents.
“I’m a fan of Volk (Volkanovski) and Max Holloway,” he added. “They were the smartest guys I’ve ever faced. They had that fight IQ. They know how to fight.”
Topuria’s next move is still uncertain, but his ambitions are clear: he wants to test himself at the top of the UFC’s lightweight division.
Photo: Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images
