At just 21-years old, Ronaldo Rodriguez got his first shot on the Contender Series. Being young and raw, Rodriguez came up short in a valiant effort against Jerome Rivera. Looking back at that time, he realizes that it taught him a lot about himself in a number of different ways.
“Yes, for sure. A lot of learning, a lot of experiences that were physical, emotional and spiritual,” he said. “The time is perfect [now] – we’re ready for this.”
Of course it wasn’t all smooth sailing after his first failed attempt. In fact, Rodriguez spent a year off after the Contender Series due to things outside of his control.
“I had an injury that kept me out for a year. After that, I had missed enough time – so I just kept busy fighting for my dreams,” he shared.
And that wasn’t his only layoff in that time. Following a five-fight undefeated run on the Mexican regional scene, he took nearly another full year off before getting this chance at UFC Mexico City. The reason behind that was far more within his control though.
“I was just waiting for this opportunity to come through,” Rodriguez said. “I had run through all the competitors here in Mexico, so I was just waiting for a call.”
Now having learned from the hard times and paying his dues on the over a 17-fight professional career, he’s ready to make good on his next big chance. He’ll get UFC veteran Denys Bondar for his first first shot within the company, and he knows the time is right to make a big statement.
“The first thing that came to my mind was I’m going to knock him out,” he said. “More specifically, Februrary 24th, I’m going to rip his head off.”
He’ll get that chance to make good on that prediction this Saturday at UFC Mexico City. That card begins at 7pm EST on ESPN+.
