Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) fights Yair Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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Lerone Murphy Raises Concerns Over Potential Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez Rematch

Disappointed and vocal, Lerone Murphy pushes back on the Idea of Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez rematch!

Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) fights Yair Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Alexander Volkanovski ruled the UFC featherweight division like a king for years, defending his throne against every challenger who stepped up. His reign included victories over Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, and Korean Zombie, among others. Then Ilia Topuria came along and knocked him out cold, ending one of the most dominant championship runs in recent memory. Now after reclaiming his throne at UFC 314, Volkanovski finds himself in a familiar position, defending the belt.

Yair Rodriguez represents one of the most talented yet frustrating fighters in the division. The Mexican striker possesses incredible creativity and has produced some of the most spectacular finishes in featherweight history. His spinning elbow knockout of Korean Zombie remains one of the most jaw-dropping moments ever captured on camera. However, Rodriguez has also struggled to capitalize on his biggest opportunities when the lights shine brightest. His encounter with Volkanovski ended in a TKO loss that left little doubt about who the better fighter was that night. Now, whispers of a potential rematch with Volkanovski have some fighters scratching their heads and wondering if the UFC is making the right call.

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Lerone Murphy Calls Out the UFC’s Questionable Matchmaking Logic

Lerone Murphy recently voiced what many featherweight contenders are thinking but won’t say publicly. The British striker believes a Volkanovski-Rodriguez rematch makes zero sense from a competitive standpoint. Murphy pointed out that their first fight already answered all the necessary questions. Talking to Submission Radio, he argued that nobody really wants to see this rematch happen, especially when more deserving contenders are waiting in line.

“That would be terrible for the division because realistically, he has lost about 3 or 4 title shots and he has only had one win in 2-3 fights and it was against a guy that is unranked. So, it wouldn’t make sense.”

Murphy’s frustration becomes even more understandable when you consider Rodriguez’s last fight. The Mexican striker faced Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314, an unranked opponent who was having his debut in the UFC. Murphy believes Movsar Evloev deserves the Volkanovski fight much more than Rodriguez does. Evloev has been quietly building an impressive winning streak and hasn’t received the recognition his performances deserve. The Ingushetian fighter represents a fresh matchup that would test Volkanovski in different ways than Rodriguez ever could.

“I personally, me being in the division, i know i probably need one more as well. But I wouldn’t be against Movsar getting the shot. I believe out of everybody, if anybody is going to get the shot, it’s Movsar.”

This honest self-assessment shows Murphy understands how the game works. The bigger issue Murphy highlights is how the UFC sometimes prioritizes familiar names over deserving contenders. Rodriguez might have name value and highlight-reel finishes, but his recent stats should disqualify him from premium matchups. Meanwhile, fighters like Evloev continue grinding away without getting the opportunities they have earned.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alexander Volkanovksi

Lerone Murphy

Yair Rodriguez

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!