Yair Rodriguez (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated Brian Ortega (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in an unexpected end, as Ortega had a shoulder injury that prevented him from continuing the match. The incident happened in UFC on ABC featherweight fight held on Saturday.
The fight was the main event of UFC on ABC 3 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, which did not even last the entire first round. The official result stated that Rodriguez had defeated Ortega by TKO (injury) in Round 1 at the 4:11 mark.
Despite the quick end, Rodriguez had made significant damage to his opponent. The Mexican fighter attacked Ortega with kicks and punches to the head and body parts.
Ortega fought back for a while by pressing Rodriguez against the cage. However, Rodriguez broke free from the hold and attempted an armbar. Ortega popped the muscles in his shoulder and got taken down. He fell back to the ground citing pain in the shoulder area.
This win brought Rodriguez back to the win column. Last year, during a match against Max Holloway, the fighter came off a decision loss.
Meanwhile, Ortega now has a two-loss streak. This is the first time for Ortega to have two defeats in a row. Additionally, it is also his first time losing outside of a championship. He only joined the UFC on ABC after a decision loss in a fight against Alexander Volkanovski.
Due to the circumstances surrounding the match, Rodriguez did not receive a post-match bonus like the other fighters with a finish. The bonus was a $50,000 check for each participant.
Reaction to the fight
For fans, this was a highly anticipated match of the night. Both players have a history that made people excited about seeing how this match would turn out.
UFC Rodriguez- Ortega, I know Rodriguez is aerobatic but after ring walk you see he’s mentally ready. Should be special. #UFCLongIsland #UFConABC3 #UFC
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) July 16, 2022
Dana White, UFC president, showed his disappointment about the ending of the fight as well. In the press conference after the event, White repeatedly said, “It sucks.”
“It’s a rough sport and things like that happen,” White stated. “And it looks like it was a great fight. So, you know, these things will happen. What are you going to do?”
Rodriguez and Ortega had told the press that they remain open to the possibility of a rematch. White said he respects both fighters for that, but he is not sure about it. He said that Ortega needs to focus on recovery first and that he probably requires surgery.
“It’s a nightmare and it takes a long time to recover from it,” White added. “Let’s see what happens. I don’t even think about it right now. But it’s great that they both want to do it.”
Some people shared their reactions to the fight on social media Twitter. They were also bewildered by the result.
Brian Ortega is done … shoulder popped out against Yair Rodriguez, who gets the first-round TKO … DAMN #UFCLongIsland
— Brian Martin (@TheBMartin) July 16, 2022
Simon Samano, the editor for USA Today Sports, tweeted, “You could hear that pop on the broadcast. Yikes! #UFCLongIsland.”
Another user, Daniel Rubenstein, also pointed out how Ortega might have gotten his injury. “Looked to me like Ortega pulled his arm out of the socket while he was trying to pull his arm out of Yair’s entanglement,” he wrote.
Henry Cejudo, a former MMA fighter, also expressed his disappointment for Ortega and expectation of a rematch on his account. “Ah man, that really sucks. Feel for Ortega. I’d love to see them run it back.”