UFC featherweight Christian Rodriguez had been hoping for a fight in Mexico and he got one against Melquizael Costa at UFC Mexico on Saturday.
“It’s been pretty surreal. This is a really, really big opportunity for me. Fighting twice in three months is also another big opportunity for me, but yeah this means everything to me,” Rodriguez told reporters on Wednesday.
“My parents they came from Mexico. They came to the states with nothing. They came out of age 14, 13, and I feel like this is my time to represent them. Without them I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
Rodriguez (12-2) was not turning down a spot on the Mexico City card. He’d been asking for it and speaking with the media about it for a long time even mentioning to Cageside Press at the UFC APEX in January.
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Now it’s real for Rodriguez.
“I’ve been trying to get on this card since January after I fought Austin Bashi. I got on the mic I said it in Spanish. I was like I’m trying to fight here in Mexico. It went kind of quiet for a bit. They offered me an opponent, it didn’t go through, and then I was like damn,” he said.
“Then two days later I got Costa and then he signed within like two hours. I’m blessed.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Christian Rodriguez above. He takes on Melquizael Costa at UFC Mexico on Saturday night.
