Rodriguez-Garcia to headline UFC Dallas on Jan. 16

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Yair Rodriguez of Mexico reacts after a victory against Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire of Brazil in a featherweight bout during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Yair Rodriguez is back.

The former UFC interim featherweight champion will return from a 21-month layoff against Steve Garcia in the UFC Dallas main event Jan. 16 at American Airlines Center, the promotion announced Saturday.

Daniel Rodriguez and Roberto Soldic will meet in the welterweight co-main event.

Rodriguez hasn't fought since beating Patricio "Pitbull" Freire at UFC 314 in April 2025. The 34-year-old was scheduled to face Jean Silva in the Noche UFC headliner in September, but he withdrew due to an injury.

Garcia is looking to rebound from a TKO loss to Diego Lopes at the White House in June. The 34-year-old was riding a seven-fight winning streak before that defeat.

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