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5 of the best Mexican fighters right now [UPDATED July 2023]

Mexico is fast becoming a powerhouse in MMA, and these are the fighters leading the charge.

By Chinyere Okafor

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Mexican flag / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages
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3. Yair Rodriguez

From taking up Taekwondo at age five to headlining a UFC pay-per-view during the 2023 International Fight Week, Yair Rodriguez has had quite a storied journey.

With a black belt in Taekwondo and being well-versed in kickboxing, Rodriguez is as thrilling a fighter as one can ask for. Rodriguez is known for his ability to get the win using any method whilst also putting on an exciting display for fight fans.

'El Pantera' was part of 2014's The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America on Team Velasquez. He won both his fights in riveting fashion before signing with the UFC.

Along the way, Rodriguez has built up quite the resume in the featherweight division, having fights against the likes of Dan Hooker, B.J. Penn, and Max Holloway among many others. In early 2023, 'El Pantera' won the interim UFC featherweight championship, which placed him in the prime spot against arguably one of the greatest fighters the 145-pound division has ever witnessed.

Though unsuccessful in his quest to graduate to undisputed status, Rodriguez gained respect from fight fans and he is undeniably one of the best fighters on the overall UFC roster right now. Still in one of the top spots in the division, fight fans should not expect this to be the last we see of 'El Pantera'.

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