Rodriguez (10-2) had been in tense negotiations with the UFC as he fought out the remaining fight on his previous contract. News of the 25-year-old’s free agency stunned fight fans, but things were eventually ironed out, and Rodriguez accepted a fight against one of the organization’s hottest prospects in Magomedsharipov (15-1), who has won 11 in a row and has finished nine of those victories.
Rodriguez was looking to bounce back from a beat down from UFC veteran and former champion Frankie Edgar last year, and he’s been tied up in contact negotiations with the promotion ever since. Before that, however, “El Pantera” was a top featherweight prospect himself, who won the debut season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America,” won his first six fights in the UFC and destroyed former two-time world champion B.J. Penn immediately before the Edgar fight.
The UFC is still actively looking for a replacement for Magomedsharipov as the event draws near. UFC 228 takes place on Sept. 8 in Dallas and features a main event between UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and undefeated challenger Darren Till.