UFC News: Yair Rodriguez to fight BJ Penn in the main event in Phoenix

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 27:  BJ Penn of the USA looks across the octagon at John Fitch of the USA before the start of their welterweight bout part of UFC 127 at Acer Arena on February 27, 2011 in Sydney, Australia.  (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
BJ Penn to headline Fight Night Phoenix against Mexican Yair Rodriguez

The UFC released a statement on Monday via their Spanish-language website announcing that the headliner for their Phoenix Fight Night on January 15th, is scheduled to be a featherweight bout between Mexican Yair Rodriguez and UFC legend BJ Penn.

The former Lightweight and Welterweight UFC Champion BJ Penn has been in talks with the UFC since his return from retirement earlier this year. However, Penn’s last three scheduled fights against Dennis Siver first at UFC 196, Cole Miller at UFC 199 and Ricardo Lamas have fallen through due to various reasons.

His latest scheduled bout against Lamas was called off after he suffered a rib injury that ruled him out of the contest in Manilla.

However, the legend has not competed in the cage since his loss in 2014 to Frankie Edgar and will take on the upcoming sensation from Mexico Yair Rodriguez, in his first fight in over two years. Rodriguez (8-1) is currently on a six-fight win streak and a victory over the legend Penn, would place the Mexican in strong contention for a future title shot or at least a number one contender's shot.

Victorious in his most recent encounter with Alex Caceres on Aug 6, Yair Rodriguez was also the winner of the first TUF: Latin America and has brought to the stage a variety of extraordinary performances in the cage.

Penn, a UFC Hall of Famer, will finally return to the Octagon, on January 15th as he fights an opponent who knows no boundaries in Yair Rodriguez, in the main event at Phoenix.


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Edited by Staff Editor