Featherweight

Yair Rodriguez

El Pantera

21-5

Age
33
Height
5'11"
Reach
5'11"
Stance
Orthodox
Camp
Valle Flow Striking
Out of
Mexico
Style
striker
Fight IQ
C+ · 68
Finish rate
24%
Win rate
81%

Career methods

KO/TKO
6
Sub
5
Dec
10

FightMetric

SLpM

4.65

SApM

4.53

Str Acc

52%

Str Def

46%

TD Avg

0.71

TD Acc

29%

TD Def

56%

Sub Avg

0.64

Tape read

Pocket striker — suspect hips against the shot, porous pocket

Fight IQ

68C+

Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.

IQ

C+

Ground

D

Defense

D

Counter

D

Reaction

proxy

D

Agility

proxy

C

TD react

D

Chin

B

What they do well

  • Durability

    Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.

Where they leak

  • Takedown reaction

    A takedown magnet. Low TD defense plus submission losses — this is the hole a grappler builds a camp around.

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • Timing & reaction

    Late on the read. High absorb or a leaking TD defense suggests the first move often belongs to the opponent.

Scouting report

Yair Rodriguez “El Pantera” is a 33-year-old Orthodox featherweight out of Mexico, camped at Valle Flow Striking. The tape read: pocket striker — suspect hips against the shot, porous pocket. Career mark 21-5-0 — 6 by KO/TKO, 5 by submission, 10 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (68).

What works. Durability is the standout at 75 (B). Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean. Ground game D on 0.71 TD/15 and 0.64 sub attempts. Striking defense D at 46% / 4.53 SApM. Counter punching D; punching agility C (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction D on 56% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Takedown reaction is the soft spot (34, D). A takedown magnet. Low TD defense plus submission losses — this is the hole a grappler builds a camp around. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (6 bouts): W Pitbull (Decision - Unanimous R3) · L Ortega (Submission R3) · L Volkanovski (KO/TKO R3) · W Emmett (Submission R2) · W Ortega (KO/TKO R1). Form index positive over the last 5. 1 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.

Ground game

35 D

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 0.71 takedowns / 15 at 29% accuracy
  • 0.64 submission attempts / 15 · 5 career sub wins

Striking defense

41 D

Defensive liability. Opponents land at a clip that turns every exchange into a finish window.

  • 46% striking defense · 4.53 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 5 defeats

Counter punching

44 D

Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • 52% accuracy on 4.65 SLpM
  • 0.35 knockdowns / 15 · 6 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

35 D

Late on the read. High absorb or a leaking TD defense suggests the first move often belongs to the opponent.

  • Str def 46% · TD def 56% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 4.53 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

52 C

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 4.65 SLpM at 52% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 4.53 SApM

Takedown reaction

34 D

A takedown magnet. Low TD defense plus submission losses — this is the hole a grappler builds a camp around.

  • 56% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 1 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

75 B

Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 5 losses
  • 10 decision wins — proof they last and still score

Next

Noche UFC: Rodriguez vs. Silva

vs Jean Silva · model 25%

Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
Apr 13, 2025Patricio PitbullWDecision - Unanimous3 5:0070/122
Feb 25, 2024Brian OrtegaLSubmission3 0:5855/115
Jul 9, 2023Alexander VolkanovskiLKO/TKO3 4:1940/80
Feb 12, 2023Josh EmmettWSubmission2 4:1962/107
Jul 16, 2022Brian OrtegaWKO/TKO1 4:1123/46
Nov 13, 2021Max HollowayLDecision - Unanimous5 5:00159/352