Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
A accidental eye poke from Yair Rodriguez meant his fight with Jeremy Stephens at UFC Mexico ended in a no-contest.
The main event of UFC Mexico between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens had a thoroughly disappointing ending, as an eye poke from Rodriguez meant the fight was stopped after just 15-seconds.
What was the high point of the fight?
Right at the start of the fight, a swipe from Rodriguez’s left hand went into the right eye of Stephens and the action was halted by referee Herb Dean.
Stephens was given five-minutes to recover from the eye poke, however about half way through the time when the doctor entered the cage it looked unlikely “Lil Heathen” would be able to continue. After the five minutes was up, Stephens couldn’t open his eye and the fight was waved off.
Where do these two go from here?
Rodriguez was visibly disappointed and frustrated with the outcome of the fight, and in his post-fight interview. Apologising to the Mexican crowd, “El Pantera” said he wants to run the fight back with Stephens.
It’s extremely unfortunate for Stephens, who didn’t deserve to be pelted with popcorn and beer from the Mexican crowd after the fight was waved off. Obviously a rematch once Stephens has recovered from his eye injury makes sense.
Watch it now, later or never?
Watch it now to see the nasty eye poke that forced the fight to be waved off.
This strike to the eye caused the #UFCMexico main event to be ruled a No Contest pic.twitter.com/EXIKa2PyeE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 22, 2019