Jeremy Stephens Says Yair Rodriguez Mocked Eye Injury Before Post-Fight Scrap

UFC fighter Jeremy Stephens says he got into a physical altercation with Yair Rodriguez the day after an eye-poke ended their main event ... all because Yair was talking trash.

By now, you probably know Saturday's main event was called off seconds after the opening bell when Yair accidentally struck Stephens in the eye with an open hand. The fight was officially ruled a no-contest. Sucks.

Stephens says he saw Rodriguez at the hotel in Mexico the next day ... and Yair was running his mouth about the eye injury while Stephens was hanging with his wife.

"If you're gonna come talk to me and talk sh*t, this is the street! It's a lot different. He's lucky I didn't break his jaw."

Stephens tells us his eye has been checked out by a doctor and expects to be cleared to fight soon ... and he'll be hitting up Dana White ASAP to get a rematch on the books.

"Let's run it back, baby" ... "I know how to beat you. I will beat you."

So, Jeremy says he got in Yair's face and shoved the guy ... essentially warning him to shut his mouth or else.