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Yair Rodriguez Brings Joy, Toys And Inspiration To Local Youth
The Mexican Featherweight Contender Hosted An Event At The "Fundación Corazón De Niña"
On Friday, January 13, UFC featherweight Yair Rodriguez took a day off from training for his upcoming fight to bring smiles, joy, toys, inspiration, and motivation to local underprivileged youth living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Rodriguez, a native of Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, is currently training in Puerto Vallarta for his upcoming bout against Josh Emmett in the co-main event of UFC 284: MAKHACHEV vs. VOLKANOVSKI, which takes place on February 11 in Perth, Australia.
While he’s focused on the opportunity to become only the second Mexican born UFC champion in history if he defeats Emmett, Rodriguez, who is ranked as the #2 featherweight in the world, couldn’t pass up the chance to visit a local charity he heard about located just down the road from his gym, Fundación Corazón de Niña.
“It was a pleasure to visit these kids and bringing joy to the newer generation because they are the future of Mexico,” said Rodriguez. “Thank you to Fundación for hosting me for this event, and I look forward to doing more community activations like this throughout Mexico in the future.”
Founded in 2012, Fundación Corazón de Niña is a national Mexican non-profit organization with the mission of protecting and empowering the most disadvantaged children and youth of Mexico. Fundación’s campus serves as a sanctuary for children and youth rescued from high-risk situations in Mexico.
“El Pantera’s visit to our campus was a truly inspirational experience and blessing for us all,” said Melissa Canez, President of Fundación Corazón de Niña. “Yair is a sensational young man who has a sincere interest in helping underprivileged children in his native Mexico. His message to our youth, one of perseverance and resilience, was of great impact for them and something they needed to hear from someone who rose from humble beginnings to become a role model.”
On behalf of Yair, the UFC Foundation made a $5,000 (USD) donation to Fundación and surprised the kids with Big Shot Pillows as part of the holiday season.
Funds raised from this event will be used to further empower Mexican children and youth through Corazón’s youth scholarship program. To learn more and potentially donate, please visit:
UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on February 11, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive all the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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