UFC Fight Night 197: Holloway vs. Rodriguez | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- May 21
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 197: Holloway vs. Rodríguez took place on November 13, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 42. The card delivered one of the most anticipated non-title fights of the year: Max Holloway, the former UFC Featherweight Champion and one of the sport’s most volume-based strikers, against Yair Rodriguez, the Mexican featherweight making his return after two years away. Both fighters entered ranked in the top five of the 145-lb division.
Holloway won a unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) in a five-round classic that earned both fighters the Fight of the Night bonus. The card went down as one of the most finish-heavy of 2021, with 8 KOs and 9 finishes across 11 bouts.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 42)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 55)
🏆 Main Event: Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez — Featherweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Max Holloway def. Yair Rodriguez via Decision (Unanimous) (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
⭐ Notable: 8 KOs and 9 finishes across 11 bouts | Rodriguez’s first fight in 2 years
The Build-Up
Max Holloway had rebuilt his case for another featherweight title shot after two consecutive decision losses to Alexander Volkanovski. His January 2021 record-breaking performance against Calvin Kattar — 445 significant strikes, the most in a single UFC bout — had served as the foundation. He entered FN 197 at 22-6 overall, 18-6 in the UFC, with the Kattar win as his strongest recent form guide.
Yair Rodriguez had not fought since September 2019, when his last-second elbow knockout of Jeremy Stephens became one of the most iconic finishes in UFC history. A knee injury kept him sidelined for two years, but he entered FN 197 ranked #3 at featherweight — two spots behind Holloway. The fight had genuine title-shot implications for both.
Main Event: Holloway vs. Rodriguez
The fight lived up to expectations. Rodriguez pushed Holloway hard in the first round, outlanding the Hawaiian with his leg kicks and producing a round that generated 99 combined significant strikes. Holloway then took control in the middle rounds, blending his striking volume with grappling to build a lead. The pace of the fight was remarkable from start to finish.
Rodriguez made a run in the fifth round but could not overcome the cumulative damage and volume of the four previous rounds. The judges awarded Holloway (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) the unanimous decision. Post-fight, Holloway celebrated Rodriguez’s performance and paid respect with a ‘Viva Mexico!’ shout-out, earning significant appreciation from the audience.
Co-Main Event: De Lima vs. Rothwell
Marcos Rogerio de Lima stopped Ben Rothwell by TKO at just 0:32 of round one, delivering one of the fastest finishes in the heavyweight division for the year. De Lima landed an immediate power shot and Rothwell did not recover, with the referee halting proceedings within the first 30 seconds of the main card opener.
Full Results
Main Card
Max Holloway def. Yair Rodriguez — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 5, 5:00) | 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 — Fight of the Night | Rodriguez’s first fight in 2 years
Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Ben Rothwell — TKO (Punches) (Round 1, 0:32)
Felicia Spencer def. Leah Letson — TKO (Round 3, 4:25)
Khaos Williams def. Miguel Baeza — TKO (Punches) (Round 3, 1:02) — Performance of the Night
Song Yadong def. Julio Arce — TKO (Punches) (Round 2, 1:35)
Preliminary Card
Joel Alvarez def. Thiago Moises — TKO (Round 1, 3:01)
Andrea Lee def. Cynthia Calvillo — TKO (Round 2, 5:00) — Performance of the Night
Sean Woodson def. Collin Anglin — TKO (Round 1, 4:30)
Rafael Alves def. Marc Diakiese — Submission (Guillotine Choke) (Round 1, 1:48)
Da-Un Jung def. Kennedy Nzechukwu — KO (Strikes) (Round 1, 3:04)
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez ($50,000 each)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Khaos Williams ($50,000) — TKO of Miguel Baeza, Round 3, 1:02
🏆 Performance of the Night: Andrea Lee ($50,000) — TKO of Cynthia Calvillo, Round 2
Records & Milestones
🥊 FN 197 produced 8 knockouts and 9 total finishes across 11 bouts, making it one of the most finish-heavy Fight Night cards of the entire year.
🥊 Rodriguez’s return from a two-year absence — his first fight since his elbow KO of Stephens in October 2019 — was one of the most anticipated comebacks of the year. He performed admirably, making the fight competitive before the middle rounds swung decisively to Holloway.
🥊 Holloway’s win over Rodriguez was his second consecutive decision win in 2021, both against elite opponents. Combined with his Kattar performance in January, it made for one of the strongest individual years of his career despite still lacking a third title shot.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 197 is remembered as one of the best Fight Night cards of 2021. The Holloway-Rodriguez main event delivered the technical, high-output, visually spectacular contest everyone had hoped for. Holloway’s combination of striking and grappling across five rounds against an opponent as dynamic and dangerous as Rodriguez was a masterclass in mixed martial arts.
The finish-heavy undercard — with 8 KOs across 11 fights — gave the card additional energy and kept casual fans engaged throughout the broadcast. It was one of the rare mid-day events (the main card began at 4 PM ET) that sustained genuine audience attention from start to finish.
FAQ
Why had Rodriguez been out for two years before FN 197?
Yair Rodriguez suffered a knee injury that required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period. His last fight before FN 197 had been the October 2019 elbow KO of Jeremy Stephens — a finish so spectacular it was voted one of the greatest in UFC history. The two-year absence made his return one of the most anticipated featherweight bookings of 2021.
Did Holloway get a title shot after FN 197?
Holloway did not receive an immediate title shot following FN 197, though his performance strengthened his case significantly. He eventually got a third Volkanovski fight — this time on short notice at UFC 300 in April 2024, in one of the most celebrated moments in UFC history, though Volkanovski again won.
Why is the Holloway-Rodriguez round 1 notable statistically?
The first round of Holloway-Rodriguez produced 99 combined significant strikes — one of the most action-dense opening rounds in featherweight history. Rodriguez’s leg kicks and unorthodox angles caught Holloway early, before the Hawaiian’s volume and grappling gradually asserted themselves in the rounds that followed.
Who is Andrea Lee and how did she earn her PoN?
Andrea Lee is an American women’s flyweight known for her ground-and-pound and finishing ability. Her TKO of Cynthia Calvillo at FN 197 was one of her most significant UFC wins. Calvillo had been a top-5 flyweight who had just challenged for the strawweight title; Lee’s finish of her was a genuine statement result.
What made FN 197 unusual as a mid-day broadcast?
FN 197 held an unusual time slot: the prelims began at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern, with the main card at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET. This made it one of the few major UFC cards that took place entirely in the afternoon, with the main event finishing before early evening on the East Coast. The finish rate of the card made the early time slot feel energetic rather than underwhelming.
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