Yair Raziel RodrÃÂguez Portillo (born October 6, 1992) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Featherweight Champion. A professional since 2011, RodrÃÂguez has been with the UFC since 2014 after winning ' featherweight tournament. As of February 3, 2026, he is #4 in the UFC featherweight rankings.
Yair Raziel RodrÃÂguez Portillo was born and raised in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico to Rigoberto RodrÃÂguez Olivas and Norma Alicia Portillo. RodrÃÂguez started Taekwondo at age five.
RodrÃÂguez made his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut on October 10, 2011, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 8, when he fought Jonatan Guzmán and won via unanimous decision. On March 10, 2012, he fought Carlos Ricardo at The Supreme Cage Fighting 1. He won via third round submission (triangle choke). RodrÃÂguez then fought Luis Roberto Herrera on December 12, 2012, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 13. He lost via first round knockout. RodrÃÂguez next faced ÃÂdgar Juárez on February 16, 2013 at Mexican Fighter Promotions 14. He won the fight via first-round knockout. His final fight before he entered the UFC was against Angelo Durante on April 4, 2014, at NP: High Altitude Face Off 6. RodrÃÂguez won the fight via arm-bar in round one.
In May 2014, it was revealed that RodrÃÂguez would be a cast member of , competing for "Team Velasquez".
In his first fight on the show, RodrÃÂguez defeated Humberto Brown in the quarterfinals via submission (triangle choke). In the semifinals, RodrÃÂguez defeated Rudolfo Rubio via submission (strikes) to reach the finals.
RodrÃÂguez made his official UFC debut on November 15, 2014, at UFC 180, facing Leonardo Morales in featherweight finals. RodrÃÂguez defeated Morales via unanimous decision to become the tournament winner.
For his second fight with the promotion, RodrÃÂguez faced Charles Rosa on June 13, 2015, at UFC 188. He won the fight via split decision. RodrÃÂguez received his first Fight of the Night bonus award.
RodrÃÂguez faced Dan Hooker on October 3, 2015, at UFC 192. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
RodrÃÂguez faced Andre Fili on April 23, 2016, at UFC 197. He won the fight via knockout in the second round and was awarded his first Performance of the Night bonus.
RodrÃÂguez faced Alex Caceres on August 6, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 92. He won the fight by split decision. Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors.
RodrÃÂguez faced B.J. Penn on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. RodrÃÂguez won the fight via TKO in the second round. Afterwards, he was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.
RodrÃÂguez faced Frankie Edgar on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211. He lost the fight via TKO (doctor stoppage) after the second round due to swelling on his left eye.
On May 10, 2018, it was reported that RodrÃÂguez was released from the UFC after allegedly declining two fights. Three weeks later, RodrÃÂguez announced that he and UFC officials worked out their differences and that he was back on the roster.
RodrÃÂguez was expected to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228. However, RodrÃÂguez pulled out of the fight on August 23 citing injury.
In late October, RodrÃÂguez agreed to replace Frankie Edgar and fight Chan Sung Jung on November 10, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 139, after Edgar withdrew due to injury. RodrÃÂguez won the fight by knockout via reverse elbow at 4:59 in the fifth round; the latest knockout in UFC history. However this record would later be tied by Max Holloway against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. He was awarded the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards. The knockout went on to win accolades as the knockout of the year from many media sources.
RodrÃÂguez faced Jeremy Stephens on September 21, 2019, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 159. The bout ended in a no contest just 15 seconds into the first round after RodrÃÂguez accidentally swatted Stephens in the left eye, rendering him unable to continue.
RodrÃÂguez faced Jeremy Stephens in a rematch on October 18, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 6. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
RodrÃÂguez was scheduled to face Zabit Magomedsharipov on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175. However, RodrÃÂguez pulled out with an ankle injury.
On December 3, 2020, UFC anti-doping administrator USADA announced that RodrÃÂguez had been suspended for 6 months, retroactive to September 8, for failing to notify USADA of his whereabouts and being unavailable for drug testing. He became eligible to resume fighting on March 8, 2021.
RodrÃÂguez was scheduled to face Max Holloway on July 17, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 26. RodrÃÂguez's return was delayed once more, as it was reported on June 17, 2021, that Holloway was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. The bout was rescheduled on November 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 197. RodrÃÂguez lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
RodrÃÂguez faced Brian Ortega on July 16, 2022, at UFC on ABC 3. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one after Ortega suffered a dislocated shoulder, which rendered him unable to continue.
RodrÃÂguez faced Josh Emmett for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship on February 12, 2023, at UFC 284. He won the fight and title via triangle choke submission in the second round. The win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
RodrÃÂguez faced Alexander Volkanovski in a title unification bout for the UFC Featherweight Championship on July 8, 2023 at UFC 290. He lost the fight via TKO in round three.
RodrÃÂguez faced Brian Ortega in a rematch on February 24, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 237. He lost in the third-round via arm-triangle choke submission.
RodrÃÂguez was reportedly scheduled to face Diego Lopes on March 29, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 64. However, Lopes later denied the fight ever happened.
RodrÃÂguez faced former Bellator Lightweight and Featherweight champion PatrÃÂcio Pitbull on April 12, 2025, at UFC 314. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
RodrÃÂguez has one brother and one sister. He is also a cousin of Olympic boxer Misael RodrÃÂguez.
|- |Win |align=center|20âÂÂ5 (1) |PatrÃÂcio Pitbull |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 314 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Miami, Florida, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|19âÂÂ5 (1) |Brian Ortega |Submission (arm-triangle choke) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|0:58 |Mexico City, Mexico | |- |Loss |align=center|19âÂÂ4 (1) |Alexander Volkanovski |TKO (punches) |UFC 290 | |align=center|3 |align=center|4:19 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|19âÂÂ3 (1) |Josh Emmett |Submission (triangle choke) |UFC 284 | |align=center|2 |align=center|4:19 |Perth, Australia | |- |Win |align=center|18âÂÂ3 (1) |Brian Ortega |TKO (shoulder injury) | | |align=center|1 |align=center|4:11 |Elmont, New York, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|17âÂÂ3 (1) |Max Holloway |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|17âÂÂ2 (1) |Jeremy Stephens |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |- |NC |align=center| |Jeremy Stephens |NC (accidental eye poke) | | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:15 |Mexico City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|16âÂÂ2 |Jung Chan-sung |KO (elbow) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|4:59 |Denver, Colorado, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|15âÂÂ2 |Frankie Edgar |TKO (doctor stoppage) |UFC 211 | |align=center|2 |align=center|5:00 |Dallas, Texas, United States | |- |Win |align=center|15âÂÂ1 |B.J. Penn |TKO (punches) | | |align=center|2 |align=center|0:24 |Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |- |Win |align=center|14âÂÂ1 |Alex Caceres |Decision (split) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |- |Win |align=center|13âÂÂ1 |Andre Fili |KO (head kick) |UFC 197 | |align=center|2 |align=center|2:15 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|12âÂÂ1 |Dan Hooker |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 192 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Houston, Texas, United States | |- |Win |align=center|11âÂÂ1 |Charles Rosa |Decision (split) |UFC 188 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Mexico City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|10âÂÂ1 |Leonardo Morales |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 180 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Mexico City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|9âÂÂ1 |Angelo Duarte |Submission (armbar) |Nemesis Promotions: High Altitude Face Off 6 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:12, |Alamosa, Colorado, United States | |- |Win |align=center|8âÂÂ1 |ÃÂdgar Juárez |KO (flying knee) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 14 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:19 |Ciudad Jiménez, Mexico | |- |Loss |align=center|7âÂÂ1 |Luis Roberto Herrera |KO (punches) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 13 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:21 |Chihuahua City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|7âÂÂ0 |Ricardo Alcala |KO (knee) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 11 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:20 |Chihuahua City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|6âÂÂ0 |Carlos Ricardo |Submission (triangle choke) |The Supreme Cage 1 | |align=center|3 |align=center|0:50 |Monterrey, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|5âÂÂ0 |Luis Roberto Herrera |Submission (rear-naked choke) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 10 | |align=center|2 |align=center|2:200 |Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|4âÂÂ0 |Edgar Balderrama |Submission (rear-naked choke) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 9 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:13 |Chihuahua City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|3âÂÂ0 |Jonatan Guzmán |Decision (unanimous) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 8 | |align=center|5 |align=center|3:00 |Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|2âÂÂ0 | Willie Martinez |TKO (punches) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 7 | |align=center|3 |align=center|2:22 |Chihuahua City, Mexico | |- |Win |align=center|1âÂÂ0 |Luis Daniel Gonzalez |KO (flying switch kick and punches) |Mexican Fighters Promotions 5 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:37 |Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico |
|- |Win |align=center|2âÂÂ0 |Rodolfo Rubio Perez |TKO (punches) |rowspan=2| | (airdate) |align=center|1 |align=center|3:55 |rowspan=2|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|1âÂÂ0 |Humberto Brown Morrison |Submission (triangle choke) | (airdate) |align=center|2 |align=center|2:18 | |-
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