SUMMARY
- Yair Rodriguez vs Brian Ortega 2 takes place this weekend.
- Ortega will making his return since the shoulder injury in 2022.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval 2 will take place inside the CDMX Arena in Mexico City. As the event name suggests, there will be a rematch between Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval feature as the headlining bout. However, that is not the only rematch on the card as the co-main event between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will be a rematch of their previous bout in 2022.
At UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodriguez, the two faced off in New York. Both fighters are good buddies in real life and the build-up to the contest was quite a friendly one. Despite that, fans were excited about the contest as both were quite highly ranked and were at the peak of their powers. But, it turned out to be anticlimactic as the bout ended only after 4:11 minutes as Ortega suffered an injury.
During the fight, Ortega dislocated his shoulder and Rodriguez was declared as the winner as the former was unable to continue. Since then, Yair has gone on to win the interim featherweight title against Josh Emmett at UFC 284 and even fought for the undisputed title at UFC 290. Ortega, on the other hand, hasn’t fought since the injury in 2022. How will the rematch go? Let’s find out.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega 2: Stats
Stats | Yair Rodriguez | Brian Ortega |
---|---|---|
Wins | 16 | 15 |
Losses | 4 | 3 |
Height | 5 ft 11 in | 5 ft 8 in |
Division | Featherweight | Featherweight |
Reach | 71 in | 69 in |
Team | El Pantera | T-City |
Rodriguez vs. Ortega: Fight breakdown
Brian Ortega is currently on a two fight losing streak. In his last 4 fights, the 33-year-old lost 3 fights against Yair Rodriguez, Alexander Volkanovski, and Max Holloway. Nicknamed “T-City,” He currently holds 15 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. As per UFC Stats, he absorbs 4.19 strikes and absorbs 6.66 strikes per minute. However, he averages 0.95 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.2 submissions.
Yair Rodriguez, on the other hand, averages 0.73 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 0.7 submissions. But, his striking is far superior to Ortega’s as he lands 4.63 strikes and absorbs 4.07 strikes per minute. So it does show that Rodriguez is better on his feet than his opponent and also shows on his record as well. Out of his 19 wins, he has 8 KOs and 5 submissions. Ortega, on the other hand, has 3 KOs and 7 submissions.
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So it is quite clear that Brian Ortega’s best chance to win the contest will be on the mat where he can apply his elite BJJ skills. But, if Rodriguez can keep the bout standing, there is a good chance that he will replicate what Volkanovski and Holloway did against Ortega. On paper, “El Pantera” will be the favorite as he has been the more active fighter lately. Can Ortega regain his momentum after a near 2-year break from fighting? It remains to be seen.