Rodriguez tells Zabit to 'sit down and wait for me'

Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez won't be fighting in the Octagon later this month, but the battle between the two featherweight contenders appears to be heating up outside of it.

After Rodriguez fell out of the planned Aug. 29 matchup due to an ankle injury, Magomedsharipov began campaigning for a title shot against champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Rodriguez took issue with that and responded to Magomedsharipov in an Instagram post Thursday.

"Sit down and wait for me the way you have been waiting," Rodriguez wrote. "You will get a real good taste of my big Mexican balls soon enough. And since when did you become the shit-talker? (Is) that you or your manager? Either way, you'll both wait for me like the little dogs you are. Tongue out and begging.

"I'll see you in October (or) November, five rounds."

Rodriguez's comments also seemed to be in response to Magomedsharipov's recent claim that the former never signed his contract for the Aug. 29 bout. Magomedsharipov said that possibly meant Rodriguez "has no balls."

Magomedsharipov continued to call out Volkanovski for a September or October clash Wednesday night and Thursday morning. He also told the UFC to "stop playing games" and claimed that the promotion promised him the winner of Volkanovski versus Max Holloway 2 after several fights fell through earlier in 2020.

"My next fight was supposed to be (a) title eliminator and I won without fighting," Magomedsharipov wrote on Instagram.

Rodriguez hasn't stepped into the cage since he beat Jeremy Stephens last October. Magomedsharipov is coming off a win over Calvin Kattar last November.