Who is flyweight Kleydson Rodrigues?

Meet UFC debutant Kleydson Rodrigues ahead of his fight against CJ Vagara.

Kleydson Rodrigues joins the UFC flyweight division on Saturday night at UFC 274 during the early prelims. The 7-1 prospect hails from Brazil and will take on CJ Vagara exclusively on ESPN+.

Both men competed at DWCS in 2021 when Rodrigues won a unanimous decision against Santo Curatolo to hole his ticket to the big show. It was Rodrigue’s sixth straight win as his first and only defeat came back in 2015.

Four of his seven wins have come from stoppages, making him a tough challenge for anyone. He is primarily a subjugation artist, but can dictate where the fight goes. Rodrigues was unlucky. Prior to his DWCS victory, he had canceled two other fights in 2020 and 2021. A win here could not only give him a good start, but also ultimately get him more active again.

Who is CJ Vagara?

Vagara is 9-3 as a pro and making his second appearance in the Octagon after an unsuccessful debut against Ode Osbourne in November 2021 at UFC 268. Vagara lost by unanimous decision, ending his streak of four fights without a loss.

To get to the UFC, Vagara defeated Bruno Korea with a knee-to-body KO in just 41 seconds during DWCS. Most of Vagara’s wins have come by KO/TKO, as one of his most notable wins came against DWCS graduate Jacob Silva.

Both men will have much to prove on fight night as the promotion returns to Arizona for the first time since summer 2021. Charles Oliveira is making headlines against Justin Gaethje for the lightweight belt, while Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza will settle the score eight years in the making.

Only time will tell how all results pan out.

UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje takes place live from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Follow along with FanSided MMA on-site for all your news and highlights.