Yair Rodriguez, the third-ranked UFC featherweight, had harsh words for the current division champion Ilia Topuria.
Rodriguez said at a UFC press conference:
I love to f**k him up. No, I don't want to fight him, I want to f**k him up. There is a f**king big difference on that, to make that clear and anywhere I f**king see him, I'll fuck him up. F**k this b*tch, I don't f**king like him.
On February 25, Rodriguez will face Brian Ortega.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez's last fight was in July 2023 at UFC 290, where he lost to Alexander Volkanovski by technical knockout in the third round. He has 19 wins and four losses to his name.
The 27-year-old Topuria fought for the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski on February 18. In that fight, Ilia secured a victory by knockout in the second round. He holds a record of 15 wins and no losses, while Alexander has 26 wins and four losses.