Yair Rodriguez touted as a tougher fight for Alexander Volkanovski than Islam Makhachev

Henry Cejudo believes Yair Rodriguez could be an even bigger challenge for Alexander Volkanovski than Islam Makhachev.

On July 8, Volkanovski will return to the Octagon in an effort to unify his featherweight world championship with the division’s interim title currently held by Mexican standout Yair Rodriguez. ‘The Great’ heads into UFC 290 as a four-to-one favorite on DraftKings, but that doesn’t mean much to former champ-champ Henry Cejudo.

Sharing his thoughts on the International Fight Week clash, ‘Triple C’ suggested that Rodriguez could present Volkanovski with a tougher matchup than the one he received against reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

“I know the majority of you guys are gonna go with Alexander Volkanovski, I really do,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “But I think if Yair can really hone in on a lot of stuff I was talking about, he’s athletically gifted. If he’s able to do it right in that fight, I do believe that Yair Rodriguez is a much different fight than Islam Makhachev, and maybe for that reason, I think it’s a lot tougher of a fight. Because this man’s gonna throw a lot more kicks. If you take him down, he’s gonna be a lot more vicious on bottom.

“The biggest question that I have for a guy like Yair Rodriguez … Yair, if he can take some of that power, you don’t have to throw so much. I think I can easily see you outpoint this dude. You don’t gotta knock him out. You just gotta outpoint him.”

Can Yair Rodriguez Keep the Recent Success of Mexican Fighters Going When He Meets Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290?

Over the last several months, fighters hailing from Mexico have seemingly taken over inside the Octagon. It all began in January when Brandon Moreno closed out his quadrilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo and once again captured the flyweight championship. A month later, Yair Rodriguez became the interim featherweight champion, submitting heavy-hitting 145 standout Josh Emmett at UFC 284.

Then in March, Alexa Grasso shocked the world with a fourth-round submission victory against Valentina Shevchenko to capture the women’s flyweight title.

Needless to say, fighters from Mexico have looked virtually unbeatable inside the Octagon in 2023, and Cejudo believes that could ultimately play into Yair Rodriguez’s favor heading into his scrap with the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I don’t know if it’s the whole Brandon Moreno thing or whatever that may be, but either way, if I had to choose somebody to win, [Rodriguez] becomes the new featherweight king,” Cejudo said. “I’m serious about this” (h/t MMA Fighting).