Yair Rodriguez will not compete again in 2025.
According to a report from ESPN Deportes, the No. 3-ranked Featherweight contender and former interim champion underwent surgery on his left hand on Tuesday to treat a lingering problem. Rodriguez is likely to need 2-4 months of recovery before he’s even able to return to the gym, let alone start a training camp. An extremely optimistic timeline could see “Pantera” return in the first quarter of 2026, but a Q2 comeback feels much more likely.
Who knows where Rodriguez will stand in the Featherweight title mix when he does return next year?
In the cage, Rodriguez picked up his first win in two years in his sole appearance of 2025 against Patricio Pitbull. The 33-year-old striker picked apart the Brazilian veteran, landing lots of hard kicks and punches in one of his better performances in recent memory.