Featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez took questions from the press at the official UFC 284 media day ahead of facing Josh …
um I think there were a lot of fans they were worried not seeing you on embedded for the first few episodes that maybe you might not have made it to Australia so how smooth was the uh the journey getting here well it was a lot of bumps in the Rope but um we’re here now uh it was a long flight from Mexico uh it took us like 30 hours to get to Bali and then another like three and a half almost four hours to get here it was Mexico Barcelona Barcelona Dubai Dubai Bali Bali Perth was the bumps in the road was that just the journey were there other things that just die you know normal things like happening camp but no that’s that’s it you know so now that you’re here what are the emotions you know you’re only a few days away from fighting Josh Ahmed for the interim featherweight title I know you were the one we spoke to you in Dallas you were a guest fighter you were pretty focused on getting vulcanovsky on this card but you have Josh M for the interim title so what are your thoughts on Josh as an opponent uh my thousand Josh is an opponent I think he’s a really dangerous opponent I think he he can make some damage if he gets to to connect a single punch and so I’m gonna have to be really careful with him uh it’s a guy that I really respect he’s doing this for the right reasons and uh I used you know expecting him to bring the best of him you know so so it’s a war as always you fought like Max Holloway the zombie and all and Jeremy’s teams and all these guys how does Josh compare to those do you feel like you fought tougher competition getting here than you will on Saturday Sunday no I just think it’s the same thing you know every time that I step into the Octagon I I cannot disrespect the guy in front of me you know because he’s the best point that I could have at the moment you know plus me you know I’m always fighting myself instead of the other guy you know I’m trying to win against myself every single day you know my demons that’s about it but talking about your shame and I think he’s a really dangerous opponent so I’m respecting him because of that and uh yeah just just be smart in the fight and I’m sure you visualize getting the Bell wrapped around you in Australia here so would you feel like a champion like when Justin Gates you won he threw the belt on the ground said it wasn’t the real belt because he hadn’t fought Habib yet but then when Dustin Poirier won he he viewed it as a real Championship considering the journey it took for him to get here I mean the journey has been long you know it’s been like 10 years for me to get here to this point finally and you know it’s just uh I don’t want to be respectful and saying there is not like the true belt or whatever it’s just what it is you know we’re like being honest if I get to fight for like the the actual belt then that will be the belt if the the actual champion decides not to come back to the 145 pounds then you know uh then the the champion of the division is Whoever has a the interim belt that’s it that’s who it is and how do you see that main event between vulcanovsky and Islam playing out I just think um I’m not I’m not counting out Alexander volcanovski because I know he’s capable of capable of doing a lot of things in there in that cage I used to think Islam uses his weapons better and I think Alexander is going to have to be really really smart in order for him to get the win and I think Islam has better chances to win honestly but I don’t count Alexa out of the fight how you going mate um this is the furthest you’ve had to travel for a UFC fight how do you think the um the jet lag and just the the effort it takes to travel is going to affect you and did you come a bit early to kind of acclimatize and that sort of thing yeah uh we came to Bali I think we’re staying Bali for like seven or eight days before we came here so I feel pretty adjusted to the to the time zone here and right now I’m just good I’m perfect right now and after the Vault Holloway number three fight and they were talking about who’s next did you feel like you were the rightful person of Enix because it could have gone kind of any three ways with Alan and um Emma in the discussion as well yeah I just you know I always get like uh kind of the same questions but the true answer to all of those questions is we’re gonna fight each other like we are on the same division we are too close to each other and whomever is winning you know eventually is going to fight the top guys in the game so it’s just it’s like a mix you know it’s you’re always gonna have like the tougher opponents in front of you so it doesn’t matter if I’m not fighting Max Holloway or Allen right now or any other guy in the division I think eventually will happen it’s just a matter of time and that’s it and with the way you’ll fight with Brian Ortega finished and going into your next fight there’s a kind of it wasn’t the ideal way to finish a fight so does that kind of sit in the back of your mind going into your next fight like I hope this fight actually finishes as a fight well um that’s up to who you see here right um because I did everything it was in my hands to to finish the fight is certain people think that uh Brian Ortega’s arms falling to the ground by itself the shoulder you know by itself by no reason it’s just stupid to think that way but uh if people wants to Mike looked down to Darwin that Victory that’s okay with me you know I know what I did and if people doesn’t understand then I’m fine with that thank you and yeah yeah uh what’s your uh what’s your thoughts on Australia on Australia who asked that question yeah sorry dude oh that’s it’s a beautiful country brother I always wanted to come here since I was a kid and uh you know it’s it’s just the weather is nice people is nice I haven’t been able to really taste the food here because of course I’m gonna I’m gonna diet you know but uh my family went out yesterday everything looks delicious and I can’t wait to join the Toyota country a little more I was talking to a member of my team and he knows some people here I have a couple of friends from Australia and I can’t wait to go to the ocean and do some sport fishing or or whatever I can in order for me to get to know the country even more do you get to spend some more time after the fight a couple days or uh my friend right here who is my uh my training parent as well Marco beltan is a UFC veteran as well he’s fighting in Paris for the 145 pound belt in there in RS company and we’re going right after here to help him out you know so I’m gonna go to help him out so and one last question after two said and done how does yaya Rodriguez want to be remembered I don’t I don’t know if I want to be remembered or not it’s just you know I’m just living and if people remembers me then I’m fine with that if not then I hope just make a I changed in somebody’s life a positive change in somebody’s life that’s it thank you thank you yeah one more uh how do you see the match between uh Max Holloway and Arnold Allen playing out that was just announced well um I think Max Holloway has more tools than what what people think and it was probably the toughest fight I ever had you know it’s really really tough and uh I think Allen has really good opportunities against Maxwell away especially if he’s uh in submitting him because he’s really good in the ground but I think he’s maxolo is so experienced bro so experienced not not because of no reason he was one of the best pounds of pounds ever so I just think the experience is going to play a big role in that fight the last one for me I have to ask we saw your reaction when Brandon Moreno won the interim title in Dallas that that clip kind of went viral you obviously you didn’t get to watch it there in person when he won the Undisputed belt in Brazil so how did you react at home watching Brandon win no I was like I was pumped you know but I uh I was hanging out with my my cool kids and some of some of my friends in in my my friend’s house in Mexico and um and what you’re sitting there in the floor you know enjoying the fight and I was fired up because I saw like figure out like trying some you know like uh dirty punches in there like a kick in the floor and stuff like I was like hey you know I was getting like really pumped like in the fight you know but uh as soon as I saw him like like winning the fight I knew I knew I actually mentioned it in the interviews before the fight I think the fight is going to be over in the second or third round and that’s what happened so I’m really happy for him Brandon has a bell you’re fighting for about Alexa Grosso is about to fight for the Bell Irene is probably in the number one Contender fight are you hoping the UFC goes to Mexico this year for a paper 100 100 I think I think regardless of what happened in this fight or the UFC is going to Mexico you know and they’re building a UFC performance Institute as well I think September which I think is amazing you know it’s amazing for the next Generations like we’re getting old you know we’re gonna get there eventually and it’s gonna be time for the new guys for the new era to come and and take over so I’m happy for that