Fans were hoping to finally see Yair Rodriguez make his return when he was slated to main event this year’s UFC Noche against Jean Silva on September 12. However, the former 145lbs interim champion has reportedly pulled out of the event, which is set to take place at Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona.
The matchup was at the top of this year’s Noche UFC lineup and would have marked Rodriguez’s first appearance at the event celebrating his home country’s independence.
According to Ag. Fight, Rodriguez has withdrawn from the fight, with no official reason given yet. With a little more than three weeks remaining until fight night, Silva will now face No. 14-ranked Jose Delgado, who is coming off wins over Andre Fili and Austin Bashi.
BREAKING!
Yair Rodrigues tá fora da luta contra o Jean Silva no Noche UFC :/ pic.twitter.com/vxkTDyQQiq— Ag. Fight (@AgFight) August 19, 2026
Compared to Rodriguez, Delgado is a much less experienced opponent for Silva. The 28-year-old is 4-1 in the UFC, with his lone loss coming against Nathaniel Wood. Fans were especially excited to see Rodriguez return after his last appearance at UFC 314, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over debuting Patricio Pitbull in Miami.
However, the Mexican has now gone more than a year without fighting, and that unwanted trend will continue. It has been a worrying pattern for “El Pantera,” who has fought just three times since July 2023 and is 1-2 in those bouts. His losses came against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 290 and Brian Ortega in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Silva will look to continue his climb toward featherweight gold after picking up a win over Arnold Allen in January. The Brazilian had previously suffered a knockout loss to Diego Lopes at last year’s Noche UFC, but he has otherwise been impressive inside the Octagon. Silva is currently 6-1 in the UFC and has picked up four post-fight bonuses.
Had the Rodriguez matchup stayed together, Silva could have had a huge opportunity to put himself in title contention. Now, he will have to make the most of a completely different challenge against Delgado.
🚨 BREAKING: Jose Delgado is stepping in to fight Jean Silva in the main event of #NocheUFC on September 12
(via @MMAFighting) https://t.co/QRFDmCV1Hn pic.twitter.com/hazkB6BtID
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 19, 2026
For the unversed, Volkanovski is scheduled to face Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 for the 145lbs gold. If Silva can put together another dominant performance, he may very well find himself in the title picture next. Needless to say, fans are not exactly thrilled about Rodriguez’s withdrawal, especially given his frustrating lack of activity in recent years.
The Mexican has previously pulled out of two bouts against Zabit Magomedsharipov, first at UFC 228 due to an ankle injury and then in August 2020 for a Fight Night event because of an ankle sprain. Moreover, the Russian infamously blamed Rodriguez for his imminent retirement from the sport thereafter.
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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.
