Belal Muhammad reveals Yair Rodriguez is moving up to lightweight after wrist surgery

Yair Rodriguez is set to leave featherweight behind, according to UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who revealed on June 27 that his Valle Flow Striking teammate “El Pantera” is moving up to lightweight — and is currently recovering from wrist surgery.

The disclosure came after Rafael Fiziev knocked out Manuel Torres with a spinning back kick at UFC Baku, prompting Muhammad to float a potential Fiziev–Rodriguez matchup on social media. When a fan pointed out that Rodriguez competes at featherweight, Muhammad was direct: “Nah Yair is moving up.” He followed that up by confirming Rodriguez had surgery on his wrist following his most recent victory, a win over Patricio Freire.

Rodriguez (20-5) has spent his entire UFC career at featherweight, building a reputation as one of the division’s most exciting fighters. His only losses have come against elite-level opposition — Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Brian Ortega — and he captured the interim featherweight title with a win over Josh Emmett in 2023. A subsequent shot at the undisputed belt against Volkanovski ended in defeat, leaving his path back to title contention at 145 lbs uncertain.

A move to lightweight would place Rodriguez in a stacked division, but the 32-year-old’s dynamic striking style — built around unorthodox angles and highlight-reel finishes — could translate well against the 155-pound roster. Muhammad’s suggestion of a Fiziev matchup would pit two of the sport’s most explosive stand-up fighters against each other, though no official bout agreement has been announced.

The wrist surgery adds a further layer of uncertainty to the timeline. Rodriguez has not competed since the Freire fight, and his recovery will need to be complete before any lightweight debut can be scheduled.