Yair Rodriguez experienced disappointment in his home country on Saturday when his fight with Jeremy Stephens in the UFC on ESPN+ 17 main event was ruled a no contest.
The featherweight contender fight between Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Stephens (28-16 MMA, 15-15 UFC) ended in anticlimactic fashion when an accidental eye poke halted the headlining bout, which took place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico and streamed on ESPN+, in just 15 seconds.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Rodriguez’s no contest with Stephens at UFC on ESPN+ 17.
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It's time for the #UFCMexico main event! Mexico's own Yair Rodriguez (@panteraufc) is about to fight Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) in a key featherweight matchup.
Results: https://t.co/UW8fqUKlP4 pic.twitter.com/bwo7uMmKA6
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) September 22, 2019
#UFConESPN+ 17 Main Event Closing Betting Odds:
Yair Rodriguez (-125) vs. Jeremy Stephens (+105)#UFCMexicoCity 💵 Live Now -> @ESPN+ @BrendanFitzTV @bisping @ufc @MMAOddsBreaker https://t.co/g4CnJOPvL8
— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) September 22, 2019
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
Jeremy Stephens takes a low blow in the first against Zabit. Now an eye poke in the first round against Rodriguez. Not fun. #UFCMexico
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) September 22, 2019
With it being at the very end of the finger, I suspect that’s a scratch (not a poke) which is worse.
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) September 22, 2019
This fight feels endangered…
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) September 22, 2019
Herb is trying, but I don't know. I think this is over.
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) September 22, 2019
The panther scratches @LiLHeathenMMA ‘s Eye 👁….. hopefully he can recover #UFCMexicoCity
— Dennis Bermudez (@MenaceBermudez) September 22, 2019
Good job herbal.
— Danny Castillo (@lastcall155) September 22, 2019
The fastest No Contest in UFC history happened 11 seconds into the match between Antonio Carlos Junior and Kevin Casey. #UFCMexico
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) September 22, 2019
Ive never heard of an eye lid spasm, can a doctor weigh in???
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) September 22, 2019
Fight is over. Stephens can't open his eye. #UFCMexico
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) September 22, 2019
Herb Dean waves the fight off and fans are now littering the octagon with trash. Bottles coming from everywhere. #UFCMexico
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) September 22, 2019
Wait why is yair going crazy?! #UFCMexicoCity
— Katlyn Chookagian (@blondefighter) September 22, 2019
Mexico City is about to burn down
— Eryk Anders (@erykanders) September 22, 2019
Shoutout to @HerbDeanMMA for doin everything in his power to make the fight happen
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) September 22, 2019
WTH just happened. His eye wouldn’t open or he wouldn’t open it. I can’t even believe that lmao
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) September 22, 2019
I saw Henry in the crowd, throw him in for a spar session to appease the crowd!
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) September 22, 2019
@LiLHeathenMMA is as tough as they come. Such an unfortunate outcome…
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) September 22, 2019
That is so incredibly unfortunate. No fault for the eye poke and it looked like it grazed straight down. I hope they can rebook this fight ASAP. The Mexican crowd can't blame anyone here, it's just unfortunate
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) September 22, 2019
Shameful. Stephen’s don’t deserve UFC pic.twitter.com/JHeeQRErEX
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) September 22, 2019
That was anticlimactic af
— Luis Antonio Pena (@violentbobross) September 22, 2019
Damn that is a part of the game sometimes @ufc just unfortunate that was gonna be a great fight
— Maurice Greene (@TheCrochetBoss) September 22, 2019
Wrong eye , and didn’t even get poked anyone else wit me #UFCMexicoCity
— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) September 22, 2019
SHORTEST NO CONTESTS – UFC History
0:11 – Carlos Junior vs. Casey
0:15 – Rodriguez vs. Stephens
0:27 – Radach vs. Berger
0:39 – Bedford vs. Yahya
0:39 – Sanders vs. Munhoz#UFCMexico— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) September 22, 2019
😟
— UFC (@ufc) September 22, 2019
The main event ended after just 15 seconds when Yair Rodriguez poked Jeremy Stephens in the eye, resulting in a no-contest. #UFCMexico
📸 Orlando Ramirez pic.twitter.com/qYLbqb1h2N
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) September 22, 2019
#UFCMexico results: Yair Rodriguez (@panteraufc) vs. Jeremy Stephens (@LilHeathenMMA) ends in a no-contest (accidental eye poke) – Round 1, 0:15 https://t.co/UW8fqUKlP4
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) September 22, 2019
