Rising Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez attempted to cash in on his first main event bid last night (Sat., Aug. 6, 2016) opposite Alex Caceres at UFC Fight Night 92 live from Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In one of the more remarkable displays of distance control and unorthodox striking, Rodriguez surfed and twirled around the Octagon like a combat ballerina. It was quite beautiful. While Caceres hung in tough and did what he could to defend the Mexican's wild attacks, which included slick transitions on the ground, Rodriguez's output, timing, footwork and pressure ultimately took "Bruce Leeroy" out of his game. Even though "Pantera" slowed down in the later frames after throwing countless oblique kicks and spinning combinations, the 23-year-old escaped Salt Lake City with the split-decision win.
The full video highlights can be seen above (courtesy of UFC on FOX).
While Rodriguez's performance was telling to say the least, it was his ability to maintain an insane pace throughout the fight that was most impressive. In a perfect world he would have finished Caceres, but a five-fight win streak in the most competitive division in mixed martial arts (MMA) will have to do ... for now.
For complete UFC Fight Night 92 results and analysis click here.
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