Daniel Zellhuber on How Yair Rodriguez Inspired His Early Career

LAS VEGAS – Daniel Zellhuber remembers how Yair Rodriguez’s trip 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 had a stellar career, winning the UFC interim featherweight title along the way.

“I started getting more into MMA around the time the first ‘Ultimate Fighter’ (Latin America) was streaming. One of the first fighters I watched and became a real fan of was Yair,” Zellhuber told MMA Junkie Radio. “And now we’re friends, it’s funny. I remember watching him on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ really wanting to win and when he won the tournament and his whole UFC career.”

As he looks to carve out his own path, Zellhuber has moved to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and built a team around him that has produced results in the form of three straight wins and two bonuses to go with it.

On UFC Noche, a night when the promotion celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day, Zellhuber will face Esteban Ribovics (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the main card of UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Being here (in Vegas) training is not enough to be successful,” Zellhuber said. “That’s when I looked to coach (Jorge) Capetillo, coach Dewey (Cooper), coach Hector (Vasquez). I started having more and more coaches to help me develop what I need to be a world champion. I feel like I’m in a good position right now.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 306 Event Hub.