Yair Rodriguez on Alexander Volkanovski's "eye opening" performance at UFC 276

Yair Rodriguez knows that he'll need to shore up his skills before becoming champion. Brian Ortega is the next challenge in front of 'El Pantera'—the two are set to clash at UFC on ABC 3 on July 16.

In a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Yair Rodriguez said that he expect to fight Alexander Volkanovski next should he defeat Ortega this weekend.

Watch the interview/video below:

While addressing whether he has been told he will get a title shot with a win this weekend, Rodriguez said:

"Yes, that has been said to me. That's who we're looking for. First thing's first, I'm going to to win this fight and then give the champ some time to heal. Yeah, go fight. For now, let's just take it step by step. First thing's first. July 16th, Brian Ortega, that's for now."

The featherweight contender also discussed his feelings about Volkanovski's trilogy performance against Max Holloway at UFC 276. Rodriguez said:

"Wow, that's all what I can say. Wow, he looked amazing. It was an eye opening for me too. So, I better get ready for that if I want to be the champion. If I want to be the champion, I'm going to have to put some work, because he's tough. He's really tough."

The Mexican-born fighter, who is presently tied with Josh Emmett at No.3 in the featherweight rankings, will look to get back to the win column after losing to a former UFC featherweight champion. Max Holloway bested Rodriguez via unanimous decision in November of last year.

Watch the Holloway vs. Rodriguez fight below:

Ortega is presently the No.2-ranked contender in the division, so it makes sense that this could be a title eliminator bout.

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Yair Rodriguez's featherweight resume

After winning The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, Yair Rodriguez made his Octagon debut in November 2014. 'El Pantera' has collected noteworthy victories over names like Jeremy Stephens, BJ Penn, Andre Fili, Dan Hooker, and most notably, 'Korean Zombie'.

Yair Rodriguez has yet to fight for a UFC title, while Ortega has fought for the hardware on a pair of occasions, both of which were losing efforts against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, respectively.

How do you feel about Rodriguez's comments on his place in the title picture? Give us your thoughts in the comments!