Noche UFC, the mixed martial arts and fighting promotion’s celebration of Latinos in the sport set for Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 12, has adjusted its main event due to an injury.
José Delgado is in the main event of Noche UFC after Yair Rodriguez pulled out due to an injury, Rodriguez said in an Instagram post on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Delgado faces Jean Silva in a featherweight bout at Desert Diamond Arena.
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Rodriguez (21-5-0) has not fought much over the past two years, and now it looks like he will have to wait until 2027 to fight again.
“I wanted this fight, and I know many of you did too,” he said in Spanish on Instagram. “Now my job is to fully recover and return ready to compete at the level you expect of me and that I expect of myself.”
Delgado, from Mexico, is 4-1 and has been in UFC for only about a year and a half. He made his professional MMA debut in March 2022.
Rodriguez, from the state of Chihuahua and nicknamed “El Pantera” (The Panther), is a big name who has been a big draw for fans. He’s won two UFC titles, and in 2017 dominated MMA legend B.J. Penn at what is now Mortgage Matchup Center at UFC Fight Night in Phoenix.
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Silva (17-3-0) is a Brazilian star who has been part of a Noche UFC main event before, in 2025. He lost that fight, but prior to Sept. 13 of last year had won 13 consecutive fights.
Noche UFC preliminary bouts start at 11 a.m. MST, followed by the main card airing at 2 p.m. All bouts will stream live on Paramount+.
Tickets for Noche UFC are available at ticketmaster.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Yair Rodriguez out of Noche UFC Glendale main event with injury
