UFC champion backs Yair Rodriguez to win upcoming interim title fight

Yair Rodriguez collides with Josh Emmett on Saturday night with the winner picking up interim gold, and as we edge closer to the matchup, current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has made his prediction.

Whenever he is not in camp preparing to defend his throne, 'Funk Master' is an avid spectator of mixed martial arts, often finding time to share his views on the unpredictable sport. Although nothing has been confirmed yet, it looks likely that the champion will be putting his 135lb strap on the line against Henry Cejudo next.

While discussing the matchup, Aljamain Sterling broke down the featherweight clash and edged towards a Yair Rodriguez win, insisting his "nasty" kicks will be enough to get the job done.

"The interim featherweight title is on the line and I think it's going to be an explosive fight, with someone getting finished. Emmett is bringing the punching power and I'm a big fan of kick-heavy styles. This can go either way, but I'm leaning towards Yair because those kicks are nasty!"

Josh Emmett finds himself fighting for his first-ever UFC title, albeit interim, on the back of five straight victories inside the octagon. Despite his good form, the 37-year-old's last appearance for the promotion saw him earn a controversial split decision win over Calvin Kattar back in June 2022.

As he's currently chasing a second title at lightweight, featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski will be tasked with defending his throne against whoever comes out on top in the co-main event of UFC 284.

Check out what Aljamain Sterling had to say about the 145lb interim title clash in the video below.

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Does Yair Rodriguez deserve a featherweight title shot?

Although it's not being questioned, Yair Rodriguez's run to a UFC title shot seems less than impressive and is arguably less warranted of a chance than some other fighters in his division.

Whilst his knockout of the Korean Zombie was historic and will live on in the sport forever, it could be considered his last big legitimate win. Following his knockout win against the veteran back in 2018, the Mexican has two wins, one loss, and one no-contest to his name.

His two wins came against Jeremy Stephens, a man who has just one win in his last nine outings and is currently struggling to find form in the PFL, and Brian Ortega, a victory he was gifted after the submission specialist injured his shoulder, forcing the bout to end early.