Jean Silva will have a new dance partner when he headlines Noche UFC after Yair Rodriguez was forced out of their highly anticipated featherweight matchup.
Ag. Fight was first to report Rodriguez’s withdrawal, with the reason for his exit remaining undisclosed. Noche UFC is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, with Silva remaining atop the card.
The replacement brings the fight closer to home for Jose Delgado, an Arizona native who has agreed to step in on less than a month’s notice, according to a report from MMA Fighting. The 28-year-old enters the biggest fight of his career riding back-to-back victories over Andre Fili and Austin Bashi, both of which came earlier this year.
Delgado has gone 4-1 inside the UFC, with his lone promotional defeat coming against Nathaniel Wood in October 2025. He owns a 12-2 professional record.
Meanwhile, Silva will look to build on his unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen at UFC 324, where he bounced back from his second-round TKO loss to Diego Lopes in his previous Noche UFC outing last year. “Lord” is currently 6-1 in the UFC, with four post-fight bonuses.
Rodriguez has not competed since defeating Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314 in April 2025, snapping a two-fight skid against Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski.
