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What's the story
Yair "Pantera" Rodriguez is set to make his return to the Octagon after a hiatus of nearly 18 months as he replaces an injured Frankie Edgar in the main event slot. Yair Rodriguez steps in on short notice to face Chan Sung Jung in the main event slot of UFC Fight Night at Denver on November 10th.
In case you didn't know
Former Lightweight Champion and two-time Featherweight title challenger, Frankie "The Answer" Edgar was scheduled to face "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung in the main event of UFC fight night at Denver on November. 10. However, as recently reported by Dana White and ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Frankie Edgar has been forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury in his left bicep. Yair Rodriguez will step in on short notice to face the Korean grappler in the main event.
The heart of the matter
In a pivotal bout in the Featherweight division, former title challengers Frankie Edgar and Chan Sung Jung were set to battle each other in the main event slot at UFC Denver on November 10th. The fight had attracted media and fan attention ever since it was announced as both fighters are huge fan favorites in their own right.
Chan Sung Jung is set to make his return to the Octagon after having fought last in February 2017, when he defeated Dennis Bermudez in the first round in a main event fight at UFC Houston. Jung looked impressive in his last outing and has the MMA world stoked for his comeback and probably another run at Featherweight Gold.
Frankie Edgar in on a search to regain his top spot in the Featherweight contender rankings after being knocked out by Brian Ortega at UFC 222. Edgar bounced back against Cub Swanson in April 2018 to take the decision victory.
As per early reports, it has been revealed that Frankie Edgar has been pulled out of the fight against The Korean Zombie following an injury. Edgar has reportedly torn his left bicep and would be unable to compete. However, the injury is not reported to require surgery and Edgar could return to the Octagon early next year.
As a result, the Mexican youngster, Yair Rodriguez is set to replace Edgar and face Jung in the main event slot on an extremely short notice of 2 weeks. Yair Rodriguez is 10-2 in his pro career and was hyped as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport. Yair last fought in March 2017 when he faced none other than Frankie Edgar where the veteran Edgar completely shut down Rodriguez by repeatedly taking him down and beating him up dominantly to finally get the doctor stoppage victory.
What's next?
After a break of nearly 18 months for both Jung and Rodriguez, the two Featherweights are set to collide and establish themselves as a top contender at 145 lbs. This fight is a classic striker vs grappler contest with Yair Rodriguez coming in with his flashy and unorthodox yet effective striking and Taekwondo base and Chan Sung Jung, on the other hand, being the dominant wrestler and grappler looking to impose his will on the Mexican youngster.
Jung with a pro record of 14-2, is widely regarded as a submission specialist and has to his credit the only ever 'Twister' submission victory in the history of the UFC. Yair Rodriguez got his subpar grappling game exposed the last time he fought in the UFC against Edgar when he got repeatedly taken down and beaten up on the ground.
It will be very interesting to see what improvements Yair has made in the past 18 months and if he will be able to handle The Korean Zombie on a very short notice of nearly two weeks. Jung will be the favorite heading into this fight in all probability, but if anyone can pull off an upset and a flash knockout on the Korean Zombie, it is Yair Rodriguez.
