The interim title was formed when UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski announced he would be challenging Islam Makhachev for his lightweight title. The UFC announces that Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett would serve as the undercard for the fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski and the winner would earn the interim UFC featherweight title.
They touched gloves to start the fight and it was on.
Here’s what Twitter thought of the fight:
Professional fighters were preparing themselves before the fight even began.
After the fight began, people began picking sides and dissecting the first round between the two contenders. Both fighters had intense “almost won” moments but in the end, it would be Rodriguez who walked out of the Octagon with the belt after submitting Emmett in the second round.
Rodriguez was coming off a win over Brian Ortega in July 2022 and Emmett was riding a five-fight win streak. The winner will face Volkanovski if and when he returns to the featherweight division.
UFC fighters react to Yair Rodriguez earning interim title over Josh Emmett