Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens touched gloves ahead of the UFC Mexico City main event Saturday night with no idea what was going to happen in about half a minute’s time.
Rodriguez vs. Stephens, a crucial featherweight bout between a top prospect and a longtime veteran, ended in 15 seconds after Rodriguez landed an accidental eye poke. Stephens couldn’t open his eye, and though referee Herb Dean gave him time to recover, the fight had to be called off. It was declared a no contest.
This angered the Mexico City crowd, prompting fans to throw bottles into the Octagon and pelt Stephens with trash as he exited the arena.