Picture Credit: Twitter
The UFC’s interim featherweight champion Yair Rodríguez recently took to Instagram to show off a custom UFC belt. Videos and photos of the belt reveal a unique and stunning Mexican culture themed belt, designed by Oaxacan artists Jacobo and Maria Angeles. The colorful belt features delicately added details and reflects the fighter’s cultural roots.
The reveal was met with positive reactions from Rodríguez’s fans and UFC content creators. Content creator Ben ‘The Bane’ Davis reacted by calling the belt “incredible”.
On the other hand, a significant number of UFC fans online also criticized and mocked the fighter for customizing an interim belt.
Some fans were bemused by Rodríguez customizing an interim belt, which is not as important or as much of an accomplishment as a ‘real’ belt to most UFC fans. While the belt is a unique and interesting marketing idea, fans of the Mexican will be hoping he can perform at a high level in the coming main event.
Rodríguez, who also calls himself El Pantera, faces Alexander Volkanovski for the unified UFC featherweight title at UFC 290 this Saturday, July 8. The Mexican MMA artist won the interim belt following a win over Josh Emmett by submission at UFC 284 back in February. The main event fight between Rodríguez and Volkanovski at UFC 290 is set to be Volkanovski’s return to the featherweight division following the Australian fighter’s loss to Islam Makhachev in the lightweight class. El Pantera will be facing a significant challenge in the form of Volkanovski, and will be hoping to silence his detractors and become Mexico’s third unified title holder in the UFC.
