Just before Alexander Volkanovski attempts to become the latest champ-champ, Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will fight for an interim UFC featherweight title at UFC 284.
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).
In a previous interview, Rodriguez said he wasn’t interested in taking an interim title fight. Instead, he aimed to wait for Volkanovski, whose aspirations to hold two titles simultaneously have been well-advertised.
Recently, Rodriguez indicated he hadn’t given up on his plan to challenge Vokanovski next.
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.