UFC 335 has landed another big addition to an already stacked card. The Las Vegas event is scheduled for December 12 and will be headlined by Charles Oliveira defending his BMF title against Diego Lopes.
Meanwhile, Alex Pereira is set for his second heavyweight outing, taking on Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event that could have major implications for the heavyweight title picture. Now, Yair Rodriguez has also been booked to face Steve Garcia at the event.
The former interim featherweight champion will return to action against the No. 14-ranked contender inside the T-Mobile Arena. Garcia confirmed the matchup through an Instagram post. As fans may remember, Rodriguez was originally expected to return at UFC Noche, where he was scheduled to headline against Jean Silva on September 12.
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However, the former 145-pound interim champion reportedly withdrew from the event due to an injury. Fans had been particularly excited about his return after his last appearance at UFC 314, where he picked up a unanimous decision victory over promotional debutant Patricio Pitbull in Miami.
The Mexican has now gone more than a year without competing, and that lengthy layoff is set to continue. It has become a concerning trend for “El Pantera,” who has fought just three times since July 2023 and holds a 1-2 record during that stretch. His losses came against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 and Brian Ortega in February 2024.
By the time UFC 335 rolls around, Rodriguez will have spent approximately 20 months away from competition. Meanwhile, Garcia will be looking to bounce back from his knockout loss to Diego Lopes at UFC Freedom 250. Interestingly, Lopes will headline the very same card.
The 19-6 fighter had put together an impressive seven-fight winning streak before suffering that setback in June. The run included victories over David Onama, Calvin Kattar, and Chase Hooper, with six of those seven wins coming by stoppage.
Now, Garcia has an opportunity to secure the biggest victory of his career by taking out a former interim champion. However, Rodriguez will be equally eager to remind everyone why he was once among the best featherweights in the world.
UFC 335 Full Fight Card: Every Confirmed Fight for December 12
- Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes (BMF title main event)
- Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira (five-round co-main event)
- Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson
- Yair Rodriguez vs. Steve Garcia
- Chase Hooper vs. Chris Padilla
- Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Damian Pinas
- Nikolay Veretennikov vs. Ronald Humphrey
- Quentin Pasley vs. Junior Tafa
- Angela Hill vs. Shanelle Dyer
- Nilson Rojas vs. Roque Conceicao
- Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Michelle Montague
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
