Yair Rodriguez releases statement after pulling out Noche UFC 4: "I got injured"
Yair Rodriguez has just broken his silence over his withdrawal from Noche UFC 4, and his absence, it seems, came down to an injury that he was trying to fight through.
Yair Rodriguez's withdrawal from his Noche UFC 4 bout with Jean Silva came as a shock to many, but 'El Pantera' has now released a statement on social media explaining the reason behind his pullout. As it turns out, it was an injury that is keeping him from competing on Sep. 12.
Yair Rodriguez knocked out of Noche UFC 4 by injury
Noche UFC 4 was set to be headlined by a featherweight bout between Yair Rodriguez and Jean Silva, with both men gunning for a title fight with whoever emerges with the featherweight belt from UFC 333, where Alexander Volkanovski will defend the title against Movsar Evloev. Unfortunately, the Noche UFC 4 main event felt through after Jose Delgado suddenly replaced Rodriguez, who pulled out of the bout. Now, Rodriguez has taken to Instagram with a statement, revealing his struggles with an undisclosed injury.
"I got injured. I tried to continue with my training, but in the end it wasn't responsible to compete in these conditions. I wanted this fight and I know many of you did too. Now my job is to fully recover and come back prepared to compete at the level you expect from me and that I expect from myself. Thanks to those who continue supporting me. See you soon."
This would have marked Rodriguez's first fight in 2026, as he last fought at UFC 314, where he defeated Bellator legend Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire via unanimous decision to bounce back from a two-fight losing streak. Inactivity has plagued Rodriguez as of late, as he has averaged one fight per year in the last five years, only fighting twice in 2023 within that time frame, when he briefly reigned as interim featherweight champion. Meanwhile, Silva is coming off a unanimous decision win over Arnold Allen at UFC 324, which is his first win since getting TKO'd by Diego Lopes in round three at Noche UFC 3. Now, he will test himself against a tricky fighter in Delgado, who is on a two-fight win streak and 12-2 overall.
.webp&w=3840&q=75)
