Yair Rodriguez went five rounds with Max Holloway and his foot it paying for it.
The fighter shared a nasty photo of his blown-up foot shortly after the conclusion of the event showing a badly swollen, black and blue appendage. He also went live on Instagram to update fans on his health.
“Everybody thank you for being here for me and for my family,” Rodriguez said from his hospital bed (h/t MMA Fighting for the transcription). “I’m kind of f*cking f*cked up right now, I don’t even know what I’m saying. I just want to say, it was an amazing fight. Just keep moving forward guys. Thank you.”
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Rodriguez was returning to the Octagon for the first time in two years and was aiming to defeat the former champion on his climb towards a title shot of his own. Despite the loss to Holloway, he earned his keep in the eyes of many fans and even UFC president Dana White.
“Anybody who’s off two years, I never expect this kind of performance from them – at all,” White told reporters during the post-fight press conference. “Not just the entire fight, but from the beginning when the fight started, his timing was perfect. His speed and accuracy and how he kept going for the calf kick. You couldn’t look any better than Yair looked tonight. He looked incredible. His chin, heart – just everything. Everything was there.”
Rodriguez didn't divulge the severity of his foot but one could assume he'll need some time off to recover.
He also showed off scratches on his body, two black eyes and stitches on his face in a separate Instagram story.
