Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett interim featherweight championship fight set for UFC 284

By Rami J. Hanna Last updated Nov 23, 2022

Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett have the opportunity to be crowned interim champion this February.

Rodriguez vs. Emmett was announced Saturday during the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 281, hours after the promotion confirmed the superfight between undisputed champ Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion.

UFC 284 takes place Feb. 12 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia (due to the time difference, the pay-per-view card will air stateside on Feb. 11).

The prospect of a long wait may have convinced the Mexican standout otherwise as he hopes to build on a recent rebound, a TKO over one-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega that followed a decision loss to ex-champ Max Holloway.

Emmett, meanwhile, has fought through the wilderness of the featherweight division, enduring injury and layoffs in his bid to hold hold. Currently on a five-fight winning streak, he most recently dispatched Calvin Kattar by split decision, earning him a spot in the conversation when talk of an interim title surfaced.

The official bout order for UFC 284 is not yet confirmed. The event airs live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

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