Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens will face each other again at UFC Boston later this year.
After an eye-poke just 15-seconds into the fight ended their first contest at UFC Mexico, Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens has been re-booked as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night in Boston on October 18th.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto first reported the news on Wednesday, per UFC president Dana White. In their first fight, Rodriguez pawed the eye of Stephens leaving him unable to continue, what followed was the Mexico crowd pelting Stephens and the Octagon with beer and popcorn, as Rodriguez also showed his frustration at Michael Bisping after the fight.
Before the no contest with Stephens, Rodriguez (11-2, 1NC) scored a last-second KO of Chan Sung Jung at UFC Colorado in November of last year. “El Pantera” suffered his first UFC loss in his fight before that, suffering a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Frankie Edgar.
Stephens (28-16, 1NC) lost his previous two fights before facing Rodriguez this past weekend at UFC Mexico City. Losing a unanimous decision to Zabit Magomedsharipov at UFC 235 earlier this year, he also suffered a stoppage loss to Jose Aldo in July 2018.
Footage has since emerged after the Rodriguez and Stephens’ first fight showing an altercation between the pair at a hotel in Mexico City, as Stephens is shown shoving Rodriguez while they engaged in a verbal spat.
UFC Boston is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Dominick Reyes and former middleweight champ Chris Weidman.