Yair Rodriguez has not competed since April 2025. His most recent appearance came at UFC 314, where he earned a decision victory over Patricio Pitbull.

Published on: Aug 20, 2026, 05:29:04 IST

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Former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez has pulled out of the Noche UFC main event against Jean Silva for undisclosed reasons.

Yair Rodriguez’s recent fight history

The 33-year-old fighter, who holds a 20-5 record with one no contest, has not competed since April 2025. His most recent appearance came at UFC 314, where he earned a decision victory over Patricio Pitbull.

That fight marked the Mexican fighter's return after more than a year away from competition and snapped a two-fight losing streak that included defeats to Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega.

Who replaces Yair Rodriguez against Silva at UFC Noche?

With Rodriguez now out of the headline bout, Jean Silva will face Jose Delgado in the Noche UFC main event, as per MMA Fighting report.

The matchup gives Delgado the biggest opportunity of his UFC career, as he is set to make his first appearance in a UFC main event.

Jose Delgado breaks into top 15

Delgado enters the contest following three consecutive victories over Austin Bashi, Andre Fili and Hyder Amil. He has bounced back with consecutive wins since suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Nathaniel Wood in October.

His recent run of success at featherweight has helped Delgado break into the division’s Top 15 rankings, where he currently sits at No. 14.

Jean Silva eyes another featherweight win

Silva, meanwhile, will return to action after defeating Arnold Allen at UFC 324 earlier this year. The victory helped him regain momentum following a closely contested title-eliminator loss to Diego Lopes.

The Brazilian fighter owns a 17-3 professional record and will look to build on his January decision victory over Allen.

The 29-year-old Silva has gone 6-1 inside the UFC and has collected four performance bonuses during his promotional run. He is currently ranked No. 6 in the UFC featherweight division, while Delgado sits at No. 14.

Noche UFC features more fights

The Noche UFC card will also feature several other notable matchups. Former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso is scheduled to face Manon Fiorot, while former men’s flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will take on Joseph Morales.

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