Daily Debate: Did Dana White make the right call with Yair Rodriguez's UFC release?

Was it a petty cold-blooded cut or a shrewd business move that’ll serve as a message to other UFC fighters?

Following Yair Rodriguez’s surprise UFC release earlier this week, we posed the question for our Daily Debate feature on MMAjunkie Radio.

The poll question as we worded it: Did UFC President Dana White make the right call in letting Rodriguez go for not taking a fight with Zabit Magomedsharipov at UFC 227?

Fight fans, it turns out, didn’t support the move – by a nearly 2-1 margin (via Twitter):

Rodriguez (10-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who’s No. 15 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings, was axed because he allegedly turned down two fights: first against Ricardo Lamas and most recently against Magomedsharipov. White’s announcement that Rodriguez has been released came two days after the UFC executive announced a fight between Rodriguez and Magomedsharipov was set for UFC 227 in August – which was quickly followed by counter-tweets from White and Rodriguez.

“El Pantera” opened his UFC career with six straight wins, which included a dominant second-round TKO finish of former champ B.J. Penn in a January 2017 headliner. Four months later, though, Frankie Edgar dismantled Rodriguez at UFC 211, which resulted in a humbling doctor’s stoppage TKO loss. Rodriguez hasn’t fought since that May 2017 defeat because of an injury.

The 25-year-old Mexican fighter now appears poised for free agency – and Bellator President Scott Coker has already expressed interest in signing Rodriguez after speaking with MMAjunkie on Friday.

Check out the video above as the MMAjunkie Radio crew discusses whether he should be on the market at all.

And for more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

Rodriguez def. Penn

Other apps just deliver sports. The USA TODAY Sportswire app lets you pick specific team sites to get only the news that you want to know.

newsletter Get 10 hot stories each day Thanks for signing up.

Please check your email for a confirmation. Thanks for signing up.

Please check your email for a confirmation.