UFC 306's Daniel Zellhuber explains how Yair Rodriguez inspired early career

LAS VEGAS – Daniel Zellhuber recalls how Yair Rodriguez’s journey caught his attention.

Zellhuber (15-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) watched Rodriguez win Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” in 2014, when he represented Team Mexico under coach Cain Velasquez. Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) helped put Mexico on the MMA map and has had a standout career, capturing the interim UFC featherweight title in the process.

“When I kind of got more into MMA was at the time that the first ‘Ultimate Fighter’ (Latin America) was streaming, so one of the first fighters that I ever watched and really became a fan of is Yair,” Zellhuber told MMA Junkie Radio. “And now we’re friends, so it’s funny. I remember watching him on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ really desiring to win and when he won the tournament and his whole UFC career.”

As he looks to pave his own way, Zellhuber moved to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and built a team around him, which has produced results in the form of three consecutive wins and two bonuses to go along with it.

On Noche UFC, a night when the promotion celebrates Mexican Independence day, Zellhuber takes on Esteban Ribovics (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the UFC 306 main card Sept. 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Being here (Vegas) training is not enough to be successful,” Zellhuber said. “So that’s when I searched for coach (Jorge) Capetillo, coach Dewey (Cooper), coach Hector (Vasquez). I started getting more and more coaches to really help me develop what I need to be a world champion. I feel right now I’m in a good spot.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.