Report | Yair Rodriguez and UFC squash beef, Zabit Magomedsharipov fight targeted for UFC 228

Earlier this month, Dana White and the UFC made the extremely controversial choice to cut red-hot featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez. The reason, we were told, was that Rodriguez had turned down bouts with Ricardo Lamas and Zabit Magomedsharipov — apparently a major no-no.

While there was briefly talk of Yair Rodriguez moving to South American MMA powerhouse Combate Americas, it now sounds as though he and the UFC have made amends. Better still, it sounds like he’ll fight Zabit Magomedsharipov at UFC 228 this September.

This news comes from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

BREAKING: The Yair Rodriguez/UFC situation has apparently done a 180. Rodriguez vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov is now verbally agreed to for UFC 228 in September.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 1, 2018

I'm told UFC is rescinding its termination letter to Yair Rodriguez, essentially reinstating his contract. The Magomedsharipov fight is not signed yet, but is UFC 228 on Sept. 8. No location finalized for that event.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 1, 2018

“BREAKING: The Yair Rodriguez/UFC situation has apparently done a 180,” Okamoto said in a Tweet. “Rodriguez vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov is now verbally agreed to for UFC 228 in September.”

“I’m told UFC is rescinding its termination letter to Yair Rodriguez, essentially reinstating his contract,” Okamoto continued in a second Tweet on the matter. “The Magomedsharipov fight is not signed yet, but is UFC 228 on Sept. 8. No location finalized for that event.”

Interestingly, this is not the first time a popular prospect has parted ways with the UFC on the hells of contract dispute, only to be resigned before landing elsewhere. A similar situation occurred in 2017, when the UFC “cut” light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov, only to resign him in the subsequent weeks.

Yair Rodriguez has not fought since early 2017, when he was stopped by long-time featherweight contender Frankie Edgar. At present, the Mexican talent is the owner of a 10-2 overall record, and a 6-1 mark in the Octagon.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/1/2018.