Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez went through a war at UFC Fight Night 197. Both men went after each other from the first round and produced a fight of the year contender. Holloway came out as the victor, but Rodriguez sure gained a lot of fans and the respect of his opponent.

After the fight, both men were badly bruised and taken straight to the hospital for checkups. However, while ‘El Pantera’ was in the ambulance, ‘Blessed’ showed up and took a picture with him, as they both showed admiration for each other. In a recent Twitter post, Holloway talked about how for a fighter like Rodriguez, it is easier to go through a fight.

He wrote, “Toughest sport in the world. But for some of us what happens in the Octagon is the easier parts of life. Yair is one of those fighters.” 

The former UFC featherweight champion also acknowledged how Rodriguez‘s family sacrificed. He said, “If you want to understand how Yair does his ninja stuff, look at his team. If you want to understand why, look at his family and the sacrifices they’ve made together to make it to the Octagon.”

He also expects him to be a future champ, and said, “Shout outs to Parral, Chihuahua. Love you, brother. Looking forward to your championship reign someday. We should be amigos, probably.”

According to UFC President Dana White, Rodriguez’s stock didn’t drop. White at the post-fight press conference, said, “His stock didn’t drop at all. He came in and fought his ass off. He looked great, and now it’s just going to depend on what type of injuries he has. Go heal up and figure out what’s next.”

Max Holloway Sets Three Mind-Boggling Records With His Win Over Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42

What’s next for Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez

Max Holloway is the number 1 ranked UFC featherweight, and for many, was already the number 1 contender for the title. After a brutal fight like this, he has surely confirmed his spot as the top contender. However, there are other fights on his radar as well. During the post-fight interview, he called out Alexander Volkanovski, UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor. It will be interesting to see how the UFC books him next.

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Yair Rodriguez gave his everything against ‘Blessed.’ From start to finish, he kept going after his opponent, and landed some very clean and dangerous strikes. But none of the strikes were enough to stop the former champion. However, ‘El Pantera’ impressed everyone with his performance and would look to get back inside the octagon as soon as possible.

A possible matchup for the Mexican fighter would be against Brian Ortega. Ortega is coming off a loss against the champion Volkanovski and would look to get back in the title picture. A fight against Rodriguez would be good for both men, and for their scope for a title shot.

What do you make of the respect shown by both fighters towards each other? Let us know in the comments!

WATCH THIS STORY – Five Potential Match-Ups for Max Holloway After His Victory Over Yair Rodriguez