A month ago at the UFC Fight Night event in Austin, Texas that was also broadcast live on ESPN, Josh Emmett won a close split decision over Calvin Kattar that catapulted him up to third place in the featherweight rankings.

Thirty-seven-year-old Emmett, now on a five fight win streak, called for a title shot against whoever won the title bout at UFC 276 between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.

When UFC 276 rolled around, Emmett wasn't mentioned on the broadcast and, most tellingly, not even given a front row seat for the main event. That the UFC were willing to do this for Kayla Harrison, a fighter currently contracted to PFL, in order to hype up a potential dream match with Amanda Nunes months down the line but not for Emmett, the rightful next in line in his division, shows they had other plans in mind.

These plans unfolded this past weekend when the number one and two ranked in the division, Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez faced off at a UFC Fight Night event held in New York and broadcast live on ABC – both steps up from the Kattar/Emmett show.

Since 2018, Ortega has only fought twice, a win and a loss to champion Volkanovski. His opponent Rodriguez hasn't done much better: since 2018, when he got that last second KO win against Chan Sung Jung which will live forever on highlight reels everywhere, he beat Jeremy Stevens and lost to title challenger Holloway.

On paper, neither man should be anywhere near the belt but they are young, exciting fighters – they have 15 post-fight bonuses between them – and, more importantly, they are both immensely popular with the Latin audience. UFC President Dana White has spoken at length about the importance of cracking the Mexican market and a big win for either Rodriguez or Ortega, who is American but has Mexican parents, would put the UFC one step away from a having a Mexican champion in a marquee division.

When the bell rang, Ortega and Rodriguez lived up to their reputations and met in the center of the Octagon to start trading. There was no feeling out process, the first hit came from a full-stretch jab by Rodriguez. Ortega, well known for his granite chin, took it and walked Rodriguez down. In under a minute he had opened a cut on Rodriguez's face.

But Rodriguez is fast, maybe the fastest in the division. Any time Ortega got into boxing range, he was second to the punch and any time he pulled back, he was getting caught with something. Rodriguez is known for almost kickboxing in reverse; typically, a fighter will start at long range, use a leg kick to put their foe off balance and then move closer to throw punches. Rodriguez instead stands in front of his opponents like a boxer and then once they enter into this rhythm, he will throw them off-balance with severely angled kicks.

Having been hurt and confused enough by the fast openers and chopping calf kick closers of Rodriguez – all within roughly 90 seconds – Ortega started clinching. He forced Rodriguez up to the cage, partly to try and get him to the ground, partly to slow him down and tire him out.

The crowd, full of guys waving the bandera de México and wearing UFC themed sombreros, were starting to turn. No longer singing olé, they began to boo as Ortega held Rodriguez against the Octagon fence.

Hearing this was perhaps the beginning of the end for Ortega. He forced an attempt to pull guard and instead fell to the ground on his own. This separation allowed Rodriguez to get back to the middle of the Octagon and, again, when Ortega moved in, he found himself second best and on the receiving end of a stunning head kick, front kick, right straight combination.

He rushed Rodriguez against the cage and used the momentum to get the take-down he'd been hunting for. Rodriguez used the momentum too – he rolled onto his back and tried to hook a triangle choke.

Out of nowhere, referee Keith Peterson called a stop to the bout and Yair Rodriguez went to celebrate with his corner. Brian Ortega lay flat on his back, cradling his right shoulder. Commentators Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder were audibly devastated as they confirmed to the audience that Ortega's shoulder had popped out of his socket forcing a TKO stoppage.

For as much as he likes bending the rules even Dana White can't spin a fluke, anticlimactic win into a title shot. So what's next? When asked about a contenders bout between Rodriguez and forgotten man Josh Emmett: "I like it. I don’t hate it." With enthusiasm like that, it seems the one plan the UFC can keep is making sure Emmett is as far away from the belt as possible.

(Cover: Referee Keith Peterson raises Yair Rodriguez's hand in victory following his TKO (Injury) win over Brian Ortega in the featherweight main event of UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, U.S. July 16, 2022. /Zuffa