A highly anticipated main event resulted in a grudge match following one of the most disappointing stoppages in UFC history.
The UFC is set to return to Mexico City this weekend for a Fight Night event at Arena CDMX on March 29.
In the main event, Brandon Moreno will look to break his winless run in Mexico when the former flyweight champion faces Steve Erceg.
In 2019, the honor of headlining the show went to Yair Rodriguez who is set to return next month in a heated clash with Patricio Pitbull.
Rodriguez’s first and only main event spotlight in Mexico should’ve been a huge moment of celebration but it ended up being one of the most controversial events in recent history.
Fans in Mexico City were outraged by the stoppage of Yair Rodriguez vs Jeremy Stephens
Following his return to the UFC the previous year where he knocked out ‘The Korean Zombie’ in stunning fashion, Yair Rodriguez looked to move up the rankings in a matchup with Jeremy Stephens.
‘Lil Heathen’ was coming off of back-to-back losses to Jose Aldo and Zabit Magomedsharipov at the time but the clash of styles alone made this a must-watch encounter.
In the end, neither the #7 or the #8-ranked contender in the featherweight division got to showcase anything that they had been working on.
The fight came to an end not even 15-seconds into the five-round duration following an eye poke to Stephens.
Referee Herb Dean chose to wait out the full five-minute period to give Stephens as much time to recover as possible but the American was getting no closer to being able to open his eye.
The crowd grew increasingly more agitated with each minute and when Dean waved the fight off, they let their feelings known.
The fans in Mexico City immediately started throwing bottles and other objects into the Octagon with commentator Brendan Fitzgerald choosing to take shelter.
Whilst Stephens was quickly hurried to the back with security blocking him from being hit by anything, the situation wasn’t helped by Rodriguez who hyped the crowd up and jumped on the cage.
The Mexican fighter was clearly very frustrated with the doctor and when Michael Bisping touched his arm to try and start the post-fight interview, Rodriguez’s emotions got the better of him as he verbally lashed out at the Hall of Famer.
Rodriguez apologized to Bisping after being consoled by his team before stating that he would be happy to put a rematch together and the demand for that only grew following several confrontations between the two opponents.
They were rescheduled for the following month where in a fight of the night winning bout, Rodriguez came out on top.
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Yair Rodriguez had to put in work to rebuild his public perception
The reaction to the main event stoppage wasn’t just a bad look for the fans in Mexico City, it left a sour taste regarding Yair Rodriguez’s actions and conduct.
He already wasn’t on the greatest terms with the UFC having previously been cut from the roster due to declining fights.
Since he put the feud with Jeremy Stephens to bed in their rematch, Rodriguez appeared to turn a corner in his career and since then, he has been in the good books of both the UFC and the fans.
Whilst no one wants to see a fight end like that, the reaction from the fans and Rodriguez made the September 21st Fight Night event into a talking point for all the wrong reasons.