“I think anybody in the division is really good,” Rodríguez said. “Anybody could be knocking on the door for a title real quick. For now, it’s Brian Ortega and I; we have the opportunity to do it and I’m sure we’re both going to take advantage of this situation.”
Ortega was on the cusp of a UFC title just short of 10 months ago at UFC 266: Volkanovski vs Ortega. Even though he came out on the wrong end of a judge’s decision, “T-City” was the champion’s biggest test since Volkanovski earned the belt in 2019. In a rematch, Ortega is confident that, this time, he won’t let the belt slip from his grasp.
Athlete Profiles: Yair Rodriguez | Brian Ortega
“It’s not really my call, obviously, but [the title is] what I want next,” Ortega said. “I would love to run it back with Volkanovski. I think we can all agree that out of all his title defenses, I put him in the worst situations he’s ever been in and I’m willing to do it again.”
“Whether it’s a good night, bad night, I’m coming, and I’m a hard m****r f****r to stop. If I lose one, two times, I’m going to keep coming after you. I don’t know if that’s my mentality or how I was raised, but I don’t take no for an answer.”