- The opening betting odds pit Rodriguez as the bookies favorite over Stephens.
- Yair Rodriguez is set to return after a fight of the year win over the Korean Zombie in late 2018.
- Jeremy Stephens packs a powerful punch, can Rodriguez withstand his power?
After much back and forth between the UFC and booking Yair Rodriguez’s next fight, ESPN reported on Friday that he would face Jeremy Stephens at the main event for UFC Mexico card on Sept 21, 2019 inside Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.
| Opening UFC Mexico Odds: Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Yair Rodriguez | -150 |
| Jeremy Stephens | +122 |
Let’s take an example for this betting preview: Bet $150 on Rodriguez to profit $100, if you placed $100 on Stephens you could profit $122.
Rodriguez (11-2), scored knockout of the year against Chan Sung Jung aka “The Korean Zombie” in his last bout. An unorthodox elbow knocked Jung out within minutes of the final bell, ending what was a hard-fought war between the two exciting fighters.
“Pantera” has taken enough damage in his past two fights, with Frankie Edgar derailing his hype train in a dominant performance, roughly two years ago. With a fighter like Jeremy Stephens, Rodriguez should have enough fight IQ and movement to not fall for the overhand right or explosive hooks that the veteran fighter brings to the Octagon.
Stephens was riding high on a career comeback with wins over Josh Emmet and Doo Ho Choi, until Jose Aldo finished him with a body-shot and Zabit Magomedsharipov nulled his explosive-power by picking up a decision win at UFC 235 earlier this year. It’s fair to say he’s been a little inconsistent, yet Stephens is still a dangerous striker and you can be guaranteed he will bring it at UFC Mexico.
Pick: Yair Rodriguez
UFC Mexico will also feature the strawweight showdown between ex-champion Carla Esparza and top contender Alexa Grasso. Expect more announcements for #UFCMexico within the coming weeks.