UFC Mexico: Yair Rodriguez aiming to use hometown support to catapult into featherweight title contention

The UFC needs a Mexican superstar to capture the attention of the fight-crazy nation and 145-pound star Yair Rodriguez wants to be that man. But to do that, he'll need to finish Jeremy Stephens in Mexico City on Saturday night.

For years it was thought that former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was the man to increase the popularity of mixed martial arts in Mexico, a land well known for its boxing heritage. For a while at least, he was. 

However, a litany of injuries stifled Velasquez's momentum to the point that his octagon appearances became so seldom that it was nearly impossible for him to remain relevant, particularly with Mexican fans focusing their attention on the likes of boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez, whose prolific career has seen him rack up 53 professional bouts before his 30th birthday.

Enter Yair Rodriguez. "El Pantera" entered the UFC by winning the featherweight competition of 'The Ultimate Fighter Latin America' but it isn't exactly rare for TUF winners, and particularly those in markets outside of the United States, to fade away into preliminary-card obscurity. 

However, it soon became apparent that Rodriguez was a different breed. His fight arsenal is among the flashiest bags of tricks available to any fighter in the UFC, and he's shown he isn't afraid to use it, as "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung-Jung discovered last November.

The South Korean fighter, known for his extreme durability, was knocked unconscious in the last second of the final round by an incredible back elbow that caught Chan as he stepped in, faceplanting him on the canvas in the process. It was a stunning finish that earned Rodriguez "Knockout of the Year" honors. 

Some could even argue that Jung represented a bigger challenge than the one he faces on Saturday night. But in Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens, Rodriguez will take on a fighter who has competed with the likes of Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Zabit Magomedsharipov and others. 

Crucially to Stephens' own career, the hard-hitting brawler lost each of the fights listed above, but you can be sure that Rodriguez wouldn't mind seeing his name listed among that company. The Mexican's only loss to date, a doctor stoppage against the experienced Edgar, was the biggest challenge of his career at the time but he was routinely outworked by the American. 

If Rodriguez is to make it to the top level of the sport he will have to summon enough will to overcome fighters such as Edgar, and Stephens should provide a stern test of his fighting spirit. 

Rodriguez was scheduled at one point to fight the division's other most creative striker – Magomedsharipov – but the bout was canceled for injury reasons. Should Rodriguez pass his test this weekend, and the Russian manages to do the same against Calvin Kattar in Moscow in November, fight fans could be set for an outrageously exciting striking battle between the two a little further down the line. 

UFC fans, Mexican and otherwise, will wait with bated breath.