Yair Rodriguez is just a few short days away from facing former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 211.
A win for Rodriguez would be the biggest of his career and that could help propel him to become the most popular Mexican fighter of all time.
“I can be bigger (than Alvarez),” Rodriguez said to MMA Junkie. “Mexican people, they already have a lot of boxing stars. But they don’t have an MMA star in Mexico. It’s just me. I’m going to be that star. I’m already a star in Mexico, but I’m going to be even bigger than that, because I have all the Latin American market behind me, and part of the United States market. I have all these advantages. A lot of people from Brazil and Russia and Europe, they follow me; they send me messages and follow me. I feel blessed.”
Rodriguez has already defeated one former UFC Lightweight Champion in his UFC run, as he beat BJ Penn in the main event of UFC Fight Night 103.
The TUF Latin America Champion also believes that he could be the first fighter to knockout Edgar.
“If he’s never been knocked out, why can’t I knock him out the first time? I don’t see why people are like, ‘Oh, he’s never been knocked out,'” he said. “Oh my god. Look at that. (Expletive). He’s never been knocked out. Hmmm. What? He doesn’t have an iron brain. C’mon, guys. Wake up. I don’t mean to be rude, but c’mon guys.”
UFC 211 takes place on Saturday, May 13 from the America Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas with Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
