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Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez gets the main event slot in the UFC’s return to Mexico City.
Yair Rodriguez’s first fight since his dramatic KO of “The Korean Zombie” is now finalized.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported on Friday that Rodriguez will take on fellow featherweight striker Jeremy Stephens in the UFC Mexico City main event on Saturday, September 21st. It’s the promotion’s first show in Mexico since 2017, when Sergio Pettis beat Brandon Moreno in the main event.
Rodriguez (11-2) is one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster who nearly found himself out of the promotion entirely last year. After a highly publicized dispute saw him cut for allegedly turning down fights against Zabit Magomedsharipov and Ricardo Lamas, he was brought back and booked to fight Zabit at UFC 228, only to pull out due to injury. He would eventually replace Frankie Edgar on short notice against Chan Sung Jung at UFC Denver last November, winning by literal last-second elbow KO in one of the most amazing finishes in MMA history. Had he not landed that shot, he would’ve lost on the scorecards by decision.
Stephens (28-16) is on a two-fight losing skid, having been TKO’d by Jose Aldo last July and bested by decision against Magomedsharipov at UFC 235 earlier this year. “Lil’ Heathen” has been at featherweight for six years, notably stopping Josh Emmett, Doo Ho Choi, and Dennis Bermudez over the years. Current UFC rankings have Stephens at #8, while Rodriguez is #7.
UFC Mexico City streams live on ESPN+.