New Orleans — Perhaps one of the biggest robberies in recent UFC history didn’t come in a fight, but rather when Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland were denied Fight of the Night at UFC 318.
Still, for Rodriguez (20-5), now a veteran of the welterweight division, the unanimous decision victory over one of the sport’s more notable names has him set for bigger things moving forward. Maybe even a ranking.
Of course, it did not come easy. Rodriguez had Holland on the ropes early, knocked down, but he couldn’t quite find the finish. “I thought I had him. Knocked him down, landed two hard shots. I realized like 10 seconds after that, you know what, I don’t want to waste all my energy,” Rodriguez recalled following the bout, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “Let him get back up, I felt like I had him hurt, and just kept going for it.”
Later, Holland appeared to hurt Rodriguez. “D-Rod” himself wasn’t so sure after the bout, only because he had no recollection of the blow. “I don’t even remember that happening, bro.”
That usually means yes, you were hurt. But the outcome is what matters, and in one of the best fights of Daniel Rodriguez’s career, he got the right result. “This fight means everything to me. Hopefully it comes with a spot in the rankings, riding a three-fight win streak. Nothing but big names, and I’m a big name myself. That’s how I feel right now.”
Rodriguez will later explain how early life experiences, and bouncing back from them, help keep him motivated.
“Every time I step in the cage, or the octagon, I carry everything that I’ve been through in my life. I come from nothing, I come from a jail background, gang-related background, and I changed my life. I’m grateful to be here, I’m grateful for everything and all the opportunities that I have now.”
“My life could be way different, so every day I wake up and I’m able to do this, I give it my all,” he added.
Coming off what he admits is one of the biggest wins of his career, Daniel Rodriguez also called his current run “like a career revival to me.”
“I’m all in, I’ve always been all in, but you know, I’m here to stay.”
Watch the full UFC 318 post-fight press conference with Daniel Rodriguez above.
