"I knew he was gonna be a tough fight. Kevin also really hungry for a victory so I knew he was trying to take my head off. But I was focused and I followed the strategy and thank God I finished with a win... I take down my opponent and when he came up, he came up really tired. So I looked at that and tried to just finish the fight."
"Rodriguez's interview was interrupted by a congratulatory call from his coach, Daniel Cormier, who told him, 'That's the academy way.' Rodriguez was initially on Cormier's team on Season 33 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' last year, where he was eliminated in the semi-finals. The 26-year-old subsequently started training under 'DC' full time and earned his UFC contract with a first-round knockout win on the Dana White's Contender Series last year."
Imanol Rodriguez, an undefeated flyweight and protege of Daniel Cormier, made his UFC debut against Kevin Borjas at UFC Mexico. Despite being a massive -470 favorite, Rodriguez was dropped twice early in the first round, facing a potential upset. He recovered by taking Borjas down and surviving the round through grappling dominance. In the second round, Rodriguez continued his mat control and recognized his opponent's fatigue, leading to a knockout finish via barrage. Rodriguez credited his strategy and focus for the victory. During his post-fight interview, Daniel Cormier called to congratulate him, saying "That's the academy way." Rodriguez had previously competed on The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 under Cormier's team.
Read at Sherdog
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