Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez headlined UFC Fight Night Mexico City, but their bout ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke from Rodriguez to Stephens.
An injured Stephens was pelted with various objects by an angry crowd after the bout ended, but Stephens holds no ill will towards those in attendance.
“I just felt bad for the people who were trying to protect my family and the other people, because some of those people ended up getting hurt,” Stephens said to MMA Fighting. “I heard Carla Esparza had a beer thrown on her before she even came out. That’s not class at all, but that’s expected when you go to another country. They’re rivals and crazy fans. I actually kind of embrace that chaos. It was just one of those weird nights. I don’t hold any ill will.”
Stephens and Rodriguez will get to settle the score in a few weeks at UFC Fight Night Boston, with their bout serving as the co-main event of the show.
The fighter didn’t have a lot of time to focus on any emotions after the bout ended because Stephen’s team knew that they had to hastily get out of the Octagon.
“I didn’t really have time to have emotion,” Stephens said. “My coached grabbed me and goes, ‘Yo, we gotta get the f—k out of here,’ and that’s when it all just kind of started coming down. It wasn’t until I got to the back where my head’s down. It sucks to go out like that. I had an amazing time and experience in Mexico. I chose to be down there. I spent a lot of time away from my family, and so did the other camp. Those guys spent time away from their families (and) spent money. Mexican people...it’s not real rich down there, (and) those people paid their hard earned money. They want to see a fight. I get it. Security did a good job, because some of those people ended up getting f—ked up down there, too, the way it went. When I was in the back it was all mixed emotions. I didn’t want to make any decisions when I was angry and upset. I just wanted to get the f—k out of there and figure out what’s going on with my eye.”
UFC Fight Night Boston takes place on Friday, October 18 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts with Dominick Reyes and Chris Weidman headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on ESPN.
