Former interim champion Yair Rodríguez returns to action on December 12 in Las Vegas. At UFC 335, he takes on Steve Garcia in the featherweight division. The fight takes place at the T-Mobile Arena. The card is headlined by Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes for the BMF title.

Multiple sources have confirmed the matchup to Heavy.com after an initial report from the Russian Dvoyechka channel. Rodríguez is currently ranked sixth in the UFC Media rankings but remains unranked in the UFC Meta rankings. Meanwhile, his opponent, Garcia, sits at number thirteen in the Meta rankings and number ten in the Media rankings.

Return Of El Pantera

Following his 2014 triumph on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America, Yair Rodríguez secured a multi-fight contract with the UFC and was instantly touted as a top-tier featherweight prospect. He built on that momentum by racking up three consecutive victories, dispatching the likes of Dan Hooker and Andre Fili. The impressive four-fight win streak earned Rodríguez his first main event spot in 2016 against Alex Caceres, whom he edged out in a highly competitive split decision. After dismantling UFC legend and former champion BJ Penn, Rodríguez stepped up to face top-3 contender and former champion Frankie Edgar. However, the matchup proved a step too far, too soon for the rising star, resulting in a second-round TKO defeat. Following an 18-month hiatus away from the Octagon, the Mexican standout made a spectacular return with a devastating knockout against The Korean Zombie.

Rodríguez was down on the scorecards and about to lose a 49-46 decision before he shockingly knocked out the Zombie with a spectacular elbow at 4:59 of the final round. That win kept him at the top of the division, where his only loss between 2018 and 2023 was to former champion Max Holloway. In early 2023, after defeating Brian Ortega, Rodríguez fought Josh Emmett for the interim featherweight title. He won the title via a triangle choke submission, earning a shot at undisputed champion Alexander Volkanovski. Rodríguez lost the unification fight by third-round TKO. Following another setback in a rematch with Ortega, Rodríguez faced a must-win situation against Patricio Pitbull to stay in the top 10. He successfully defended his ranking with a unanimous decision win and is now set to clash with Steve Garcia to protect his spot in the top 8.

Another Opportunity

Steve Garcia came onto the UFC radar in 2019 when he got invited to fight on the Contender Series. Despite winning in the first round, he wasn’t signed because he missed weight a day before. Garcia went back to the regional scene and won against Chepe Mariscal. That win was enough to get a second chance from the UFC. Garcia had a rough start to his UFC career, with two losses in his first three fights. He decided to switch weight classes and go down to featherweight. In hindsight the best decision of Garcia’s career. Garcia looked like a new version of himself. Very sharp on his feet and with big knockout power.

He racked up seven consecutive wins with knockout victories over David Onama, Chase Hooper, and Melquizael Costa. Only Calvin Kattar was able to get Garcia to the judges’ scorecards. In his most recent fight, Garcia got the opportunity to fight two-time title challenger Diego Lopes during the UFC White House event. After a solid start, Garcia was finished via knockout in the second round. Garcia now gets another chance from the UFC to get into the top 8 of the division when he takes on Yair Rodríguez.

UFC 335 – Las Vegas (December 12th)

• Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes
• Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira
• Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson
• Carli Judice vs. TBA
• Yair Rodríguez vs. Steve Garcia
• Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Michelle Montague
• Damian Pinas vs. Baisangur Susurkaev
• Chase Hooper vs. Chris Padilla
• Ronald Humphrey vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
• Quentin Pasley vs. Junior Tafa
• Angela Hill vs. Shanelle Dyer
• Roque Conceição vs. Nilson Rojas