A featherweight grudge match between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens is being re-booked as the co-main event at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 18 in Boston, UFC president Dana White said Wednesday.
The 145-pound bout is not yet finalized, but both sides want the rematch. UFC Fight Night is scheduled to take place at TD Garden and air on ESPN2.
Rodriguez (12-2) and Stephens (28-16) fought last weekend in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Mexico City, but the bout ended in a no contest after just 15 seconds when Stephens was unable to continue due to an accidental eye poke.
It was the second-quickest no contest in UFC history.
The result quickly led to mayhem, as the crowd showered the Octagon and arena floor with beers, cups and bottles. UFC security was forced to usher Stephens to safety. The following day, Rodriguez and Stephens were caught on camera getting into a brief altercation in a hotel lobby.
The new matchup will replace another high-profile featherweight bout between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Calvin Kattar, which was originally supposed to happen in Boston and has been moved to UFC Fight Night on Nov. 9 in Moscow.