Brian Ortega briefly brought combat into his world. Yair Rodriguez was happy the following second.
However, Rodriguez’s first-round TKO victory over Ortega after just 4:11 of the fight was not the exciting conclusion that the 16,979 spectators at UBS Arena expected from the UFC’s return to Long Island due to a probable Ortega shoulder dislocation.
After a quick start on the feet and many minutes of additional grueling clinch work, the injury cut short what had been a successful run. Rodriguez, a dazzling striker, had been taken down by deadly submission threat Ortega, who then attempted to assume a more advantageous position.
As the referee abruptly halted the fight, Ortega collapsed to his back and grabbed his right shoulder.
Rodriguez sat down to speak with Ortega, whom Rodriguez considers a buddy after the adrenaline rush of the referee stoppage subsided.
After the unexpected outcome, both men indicated a desire for a rematch. Earlier in the week, Rodriguez claimed to have been informed that a title matchup with Alexander Volkanovski would be on the table if he prevailed.
After the fight, UFC president Dana White spoke to the media and expressed his approval of the idea of Rodriguez challenging Josh Emmett for the interim title. Earlier this month, Volkanovski fractured his hand while defending his championship.
Because it was broadcast by ABC for the first time since last year, the strawweight co-main event of the unusual afternoon UFC main pprogramfeatured Amanda Lemos forcing Michelle Waterson-Gomez to tap out via guillotine choke in the second round.
When Waterson-Gomez left her head exposed during a takedown entrance, Lemos locked in the choke. After cranking the fully-locked hold for a few seconds, Waterson-Gomez provided two light taps with her left hand.
