Yair Rodriguez returns to the ring: Declines fixture with Diego Lopes?

Yair "El Pantera" Rodriguez is all set to return at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, after almost a year of exile from the competition. He is scheduled to face the former Bellator double champion Patrício "Pitbull" Freire in the Octagon. The fight will take place inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, and marks Pitbull’s much-awaited UFC debut. While Fans are highly excited about the fixture, there have been speculations of Rodriguez turning down a fixture with Diego Lopes, the rising MMA star.

Rodriguez was last seen clashing against Brian Ortega at UFC Mexico City in February 2024, where he suffered a loss. That marked his second consecutive defeat, following his failed title bid against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 in July 2023. Since then, the Mexican star has been absent from competition, leaving fans wondering about his next move
One significant opportunity Rodriguez turned down was a fight against Diego Lopes at UFC 306, the Noche UFC card that took place at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Considering Rodriguez's Mexican heritage, fans and critics wanted him to compete on a card that focused primarily on Mexican fighters. However, in a recent interview, he didn’t seem quite interested in fighting someone who was positioned in rank 14, when Rodriguez was still one of the top fighters inthe featherweight division. Following a series of discussions between Rodriguez and UFC, Lopes was instead matched up against Brian Ortega. Lopes managed to secure a big win, which skyrocketed his status in the UFC
“I was offered to fight Diego Lopes,” Rodriguez said. “Honestly, I was coming from losing the [featherweight] championship and losing against Brian Ortega. And [UFC] was saying, ‘Maybe Diego Lopes would be a great fit for you.’”
“We were just talking about it. You look to fight someone just as close to you or in front of you [in the rankings]. So I said, ‘It looks like , and he was looking to get someone in the top 10 at least.’ And the UFC said, ‘Okay, we’re going to give [Lopes] to Brian Ortega, and then he beat Brian Ortega. Now, he is in the situation he’s in.’”
Rodriguez is now up for a different kind of challenge in his upcoming fixture against Pitbull, one of the most decorated fighters outside of the UFC.

Pitbull was recently released from PFL after multiple requests from the Brazilian fighter due to a lack of active opportunities. At 36-7, he brings an elite set of experience, having clashed against the top fighters across multiple promotions. His octagon debut against Rodriguez will be a true test to see how he stacks up against the top UFC featherweights.
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The match is very crucial for Rodriguez. Losing three straight matches could jeopardise his chances at the title conversation. Contrary to this, a win over a respected name like Pitbull could put him back on track for a championship run.