DENVER – It doesn’t seem that long ago that Yair Rodriguez was one of the UFC’s brightest rising stars – or when he was cut by the promotion . But after a tumultuous period that “El Pantera” insists is firmly in his rearview mirror, Rodriguez said the past 18 months that he spent on the sidelines – first dealing with a rocky relationship with his bosses, and then with injury – gave him a brand new lease on life. Rodriguez (10-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Chan Sung Jung (14-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 139 card at Pepsi Center in Denver, and it’s hard not to see a refreshed look in his eyes in the days leading up to the contest. He also seems much more at peace in talking with the media, a task he never necessarily seemed too urgent to fulfill in the past. Rodriguez said that’s no accident
Go here to read the rest:
After lengthy layoff, Yair Rodriguez outlines what he’s changing – and what never will – MMA Junkie