UFC 314 results: Yair Rodriguez spoils Patricio Pitbull's debut with one-sided decision

Yair Rodriguez gave Patricio Pitbull a tough welcome to the UFC.

The former UFC interim featherweight champion outworked and ultimately overwhelmed the longtime Bellator stalwart on Saturday at UFC 314, giving Rodriguez (20-5, 1 NC) a unanimous decision win and spoiling Pitbull's much-anticipated Octagon debut at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

Advertisement

In the end, all three judges scored it a clean sweep for Rodriguez, 30-27.

Afterward, Rodriguez called to fight the winner of UFC 314's main event, which features Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes battling for the vacant UFC featherweight title.

"I knew he was going to be tough," Rodriguez said post-fight of Pitbull. "Honestly I was picturing it in my head a little bit different. I wanted to finish him in the first round, I was preparing for that. I had good techniques prepared for that, but the guy's good, he has all the experience in the world.

"All the respect to Patricio Pitbull and his new journey here in the UFC. I wish him nothing but the best, but now it's time to be focused on what's next. And what's next, [UFC executive] Hunter Campbell, we talked over the phone, he promised me, he said, 'If you win your next fight, title shot is next.

Advertisement

"Let's do Mexico, September, Guadalajara — I want to fight for a title there. Whoever wins tonight, I want to fight that guy in Mexico."

Rodriguez, 32, lapped Pitbull, 37, in striking volume from the opening horn, using his length and an array of kicks to the head, body and legs to pick apart Pitbull (36-8) from distance and keep the Brazilian guessing what was coming next. Rodriguez gained confidence as the fight wore on and even did his best work in the third round, dropping Pitbull with a huge connection and battering him with strikes in an effort to finish.

Pitbull gamely fought out of the bad position, but ultimately landed just 17 significant strikes to Rodriguez's 70 and never really got out of first gear throughout the 15-minute affair.

The win marks Rodriguez's first since February 2023 and puts him on the rebound following back-to-back stoppage losses at the hands of Volkanovski and Brian Ortega.

Advertisement

Pitbull is the most decorated fighter in Bellator history and is generally regarded as the Bellator GOAT. A former two-division champion and three-time Bellator featherweight champion, Pitbull racked up nine successful title defenses across his many reigns and left Bellator as the owner of promotional records for the most wins (24), fights (30), title fights (18) and title wins (15) in organizational history, among others. His long-awaited UFC debut came after a much-publicized falling out with PFL following the promotion's acquisition of Bellator in late 2023.

Despite that war chest of accolades, Pitbull has now lost three of his past four bouts.

Catch full UFC 314 results, highlights and round-by-round coverage here.