‘El Pantera’ Documentary to Chronicle Yair Rodriguez’s Rise to UFC Stardom

Yair Rodriguez’s UFC career may just be beginning, but his exploits in the Octagon are already beginning to attract their fair share of attention.

As Rodriguez prepares to face Alex Caceres in the headliner of the UFC Fight Night card in Salt Lake City on Aug. 6, D-House Entertainment Production will be filming a documentary entitled "El Pantera” chronicling the budding Mexican star’s experience as well as his journey to the UFC.

According to a release, “the film will document the training camp leading up to the fight with Caceres and Rodriguez’s journey to become a UFC champion. The film will explore topics such as Rodriguez’s manifestation of the American dream, coming from Chihuahua, Mexico, with less than $400 in his pocket, to winning ‘The Ultimate Fighter [Latin America]’ reality show and his rise to international MMA superstar.

The film, which is scheduled for a 2017 release, will be directed by Landon Dyksterhouse, who also directed "The Proving Grounds," a documentary on the famed Jackson-Wink MMA team in Albuquerque, N.M. It will be shot in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Chicago and Mexico. New Mexico-based Bowles Law Firm, which represents recently released UFC fighter Diego Brandao, is funding the film.

Rodriguez is 4-0 thus far in his UFC career and has already earned a pair of post-fight bonuses for his work in the Octagon. Most recently, he vanquished Andre Fili with a spectacular flying roundhouse kick at UFC 197 on April 23, a finish that ranks among the leading candidates for “Knockout of the Year” in 2016. The Mexican fighter also owns wins over Dan Hooker, Charles Rosa and Leonardo Morales within the Las Vegas-based promotion.