‘Elbow’ Rodriguez, who knocked down Jeong Chan-sung, “Thanks to Taekwondo”

Yair Rodriguez (31, Mexico) is a player who created heartbreaking scenes that Korean martial arts fans will never forget.

In the 2018 UFC featherweight match with ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan-seong Jeong (36), Rodriguez won the KO with an elbow attack right before the end of the match.

With this one shot that destroyed Chan-sung Jeong, who had accumulated enough points to win easily by decision, Rodriguez took off as a fighter that the UFC pays attention to.

And Rodriguez’s status has risen to the point of having a featherweight interim title match with Josh Emmett (38, USA) at ‘UFC 284: Volkanovski vs Makhachev match’ to be held at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on the 12th.

If Rodriguez, who is currently number 2 at featherweight, defeats No. 5 Emmett and becomes the interim champion, he will be able to aim for the featherweight title in the future.

This is because featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (33, Australia) challenged lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (32, Russia) and the featherweight champion is about to disappear.

In the future, if Volkanovski announces his return to featherweight, he can have a unification title fight with him, and if he does not return, he can succeed to the regular championship. 메이저놀이터

In a video interview with Yonhap News on the 10th, Rodriguez said, “I’m in pretty good condition. I’m full of energy, and I think I’ve finished all preparations.”

Rodriguez’s opponent, Emmett, is an excellent hitting player.

He confidently said, “I have to get out of the range of Emmett’s power. My goal is to move a lot and succeed in a good attack. I will get out of his range and give my best punch. It won’t be easy, but it will work.”

The current featherweight champion, Volkanovski, is discussed as the most dominant champion.

Jeong Chan-sung also knelt at his fist, and Max Holloway (32, USA) was beaten by Volkanovski.

With Rodriguez pursuing the interim featherweight title, Volkanovski would be better off taking the lightweight title as well.

However, Rodriguez rather said, “I hope Volkanovski wins and puts the featherweight champion on top of the UFC. If I become the interim champion and win against Volkanovski, it will be a bigger achievement.”

He added, “I am creative, fast, and have good stamina. My sharp mental state is also an advantage.”

Rodriguez is a rare taekwondo-based fighter in the UFC, having been practicing taekwondo since he was five years old.

He revealed the hidden reason why the confrontation with Jeong Chan-sung five years ago was more meaningful to him.

“Jesús Gomes, my Taekwondo teacher, was very strict. He had to keep our uniforms in check all the time, and he taught us like an army. He had to sharpen all his skills and did the same kicks for hours and hours,” recalled Rodriguez.

Gomes’ eldest son, Ricardo, passed away after a battle with cancer while facing a confrontation with Jung Chan-sung.

Rodriguez said, “The match with Jung Chan-sung, who is from Korea, the birthplace of taekwondo, was for Ricardo and all those who are fighting cancer. Winning by KO right before the end made it even more special to me.”

Rodriguez, who now has a chance to challenge for the UFC featherweight interim championship, did not forget to thank Korea and Taekwondo, which became his foundation.

He promised Korean fans, “You are the coolest fans. I wanted to say thank you so much for respecting me. I am also grateful for the Korean martial art Taekwondo. I will show you more of your favorite war-like games.” .

Yair Rodriguez (31, Mexico) is a player who created heartbreaking scenes that Korean martial arts fans will never forget. In the 2018 UFC featherweight match with ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan-seong Jeong (36), Rodriguez won the KO with an elbow attack right before the end of the match. With this one shot that destroyed Chan-sung Jeong, who…