New UFC interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez out of action for 6 months

The Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia has issued medical suspensions for UFC 284 co-headliners Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, who fought for the interim featherweight title on February 11 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

The fighters will need medical clearance to avoid a potential six-month period of inactivity due to their injuries. It is one of the longest suspensions among the five fighters facing medical suspensions from the event.

Yair Rodriguez, the newly crowned interim featherweight champion, delivered a dominant performance against Josh Emmett in their co-main event bout at UFC 284, submitting him with a triangle choke in the second round. However, both fighters have been issued medical suspensions by the Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia, with details not disclosed to the public to protect their medical privacy. Rodriguez and Emmett will need medical clearance before returning to the competition to avoid being sidelined for up to six months.

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Yair Rodriguez wants to fight in Mexico City next

After his victory at UFC 284, Yair Rodriguez expressed his desire to fight in his home country of Mexico and requested a shot at unifying the featherweight belts against current champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Rodriguez, who is now the interim featherweight champion, is keen to fight in Mexico City and hopes to make history by becoming the second Mexican-born UFC champion since Brandon Moreno.

In a post-fight press-conference at UFC 284 in Australia, 'El Pantera' stated:

"Yeah, that would be perfect. I actually talked to Alexander Volkanovski in the past in Dallas – actually not that much with him, more his manager – and he asked me if I’d go to Australia. I was like, ‘Yeah, why not. Of course, I’ll go."

He further added:

"I stick to my word. I came here and won the interim title, and now I want to ask the UFC to take this belt, this championship fight to Mexico City in September whenever they open the UFC performance institute, so we can do it there."

Watch the entire conversation below:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has revealed plans to launch its third Performance Institute training facility, expanding its global footprint. The new facility, which will be located in Mexico City, Mexico, is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2023. Designed to offer world-class training and resources to MMA fighters, the state-of-the-art facility is set to provide a valuable resource for athletes looking to improve their skills and take their game to the next level.