Yair Rodriguez vs Brian Ortega 2
It is a sure sign of a good fight when the UFC deigns to make a non-title, non-main event into a five-rounder. That goes double when it is the first time that has ever been done on a fight night as opposed to a PPV, which have has a handful of such fights in the past. Like UFC Mexico City’s main event, Rodriguez VS Ortega 2 is a top contender rematch featuring two fighters of Mexican heritage, one representing the US, where the first bout ended in an injury. The similarities are somewhat eerie, as, like Moreno, Yair helped cause the injury and went on to fight for a title in his next fight.
Of more import is the potential for action in this fight between two fighters with iron chins. Yair Rodriguez is the flashiest of kickers; he throws spin kicks and jumping switch kicks intermixed with more traditional attacks, but all of it with full power. Like Royval, he attacks from odd angles and has a penchant for getting stuck on his back at times, though he tries to stay active from that position. His explosiveness has led to him earning nine performance bonuses in fourteen UFC fights, including one of the best fights and knockouts ever against the Korean Zombie.
My favorite knockout ever, almost time for more spinny, athletic Yair violencepic.twitter.com/Ua4UbpgfNz
— Val Dewar (ใบกระท่อม) (@the3els) February 22, 2024
Brian Ortega is a typical, opportunistic jiu-jitsu player. What ‘T-City’ lacks in wrestling he makes up for with raw aggression on the feet, matching opponents down until many of them are forced to shoot on him, often right into his famous guillotine. With seven bonuses in eleven UFC outings and only one which did not come by finish, Ortega is the perfect dance partner to create a war against his good friend, ‘El Pantera.’
