2025 was a comeback year for Yair Rodriguez as he broke his two-fight losing streak with an impressive win over Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire at UFC 314. After that victory, talks of ‘El Pantera’ facing Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch also started making rounds in the UFC world. Overall, the year was looking bright for the Mexican star. However, an unfortunate hand injury in his last fight has ruled him out for the rest of the year. And now, things have gotten really bad.

After defeating ‘Pitbull’ in Miami, ESPN Deportes reported that Rodriguez has undergone hand surgery, putting a big question mark over his return this year. Things took a turn for the worse when the former title challenger initially avoided surgery to stay available for the rumored rematch against Volkanovski at the UFC Noche, which was supposedly set for PPV in Guadalajara, Mexico. But the entire plan fell apart when the event was shifted to a Fight Night in San Antonio, Texas, crushing ‘El Pantera’s hopes of another title shot.

Now, the delay in his surgery has made the procedure more agonizing than before. Rodriguez uploaded a video on Instagram straight from the hospital, showing his broken hand. He captioned it, “I don’t remember exactly what I said, but don’t judge me. I resisted the operation, but the truth is, it wasn’t life to continue like this. All the doctors agreed that the surgery was necessary, and although I wanted to wait for news to try to fight before the end of the year, it would have been in vain: I wouldn’t have been able to complete the camp.”

The #3-ranked featherweight admitted he made a mistake. However, Rodriguez also shared that he plans to return stronger next year. He added, “See you next year, after overcoming this obstacle in the road. Thank you all for your support—to those who have been by my side and also to those who walked away—because in the end, everything in this life always leaves a lesson.”

It’s definitely a tough situation for Yair Rodriguez, as it looks like the former title challenger will be sidelined for weeks, if not months. Still, during these hard times, the UFC world and fans made the decision to send well-wishes and prayers for a quick recovery. 

UFC stars and fans react to Yair Rodriguez’s agonizing hand injury

At first, former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad sent his prayers, writing, “Heal up brother, you’ll be back stronger.” Then, ex–two–division champ Henry Cejudo chimed in and commented, “Heal up bro!” For the unversed, although ‘Triple C’ proudly holds American citizenship, his roots trace back to Mexico, which is why he has always shared a special camaraderie with Yair Rodriguez.

After that, Montse Rendon, another Mexican fighter who defeated Alice Pereira in her last fight at the UFC Noche Fight Night event, sent her prayers, writing, “May you recover soon 👊🏻🤗.” But that’s not all. Another former UFC fighter from Mexico, Marco Beltrán, also shared his heartfelt support, writing, “Let’s go apason 🔥 you’re going to hit the vrgsz harder!!.” As MMA stars poured in their prayers and encouragement, the fans weren’t far behind either.

One fan wrote, “A break isn’t bad at all for this Aztec warrior.” True indeed. After this injury, the 33-year-old will need considerable time away from the cage to rebuild his strength and return to full health before training again. However, not every comment carried the same positive tone, as one user rather harshly mocked ‘El Pantera’ under anesthesia, writing, “Don’t talk, with the effects of anesthesia, you sound more lame than usual.”

Yet, most of the messages were filled with positivity. Another fan expressed excitement for a possible grudge match with Diego Lopes, writing, “Heal up bro so you can ko Diego Lopez.” And that’s exactly how you motivate a fighter like Yair to heal up and come back stronger!

That said, as Yair Rodriguez might be out for a considerable period, the question now is — when will he return? And who do you think the Mexican standout should face next? Will it be Diego Lopes, Jean Silva, or someone else entirely? Let us know in the comments below.