Athletes
Imanol Rodriguez | More Professional, More Dangerous
Unbeaten Mexican Flyweight Already Has His First UFC Win Under His Belt, And He Said He’s Only Getting Better From Here.
With his first UFC win still fresh in the memory, Mexican flyweight Imanol Rodriguez is ready for his sophomore appearance, and he says he’s arrived as an even more dangerous fighter than the one we saw in his debut in February.
Rodriguez defeated Kevin Borjas in a Performance of the Night display back at UFC Mexico City as he overcame some early adversity in the fight before eventually finishing his man via second-round TKO.
“It's not the first time I've faced adversity,” he said. “I've gone through challenges like this before, just to understand what needs to be done. For me, it was going to go back to the basics and doing the things that I need to do to move forward [and] to understand I have to fix mistakes that were made to do better and to become a better professional.”
That victory took his professional record to 7-0 and announced his arrival as a dangerous new talent in the UFC’s exciting 125-pound division. Crucially, it also showed Rodriguez that he needed to focus on his development as he looks to level up his game to match the quality of the established contenders in the division.
Imanol Rodriguez: “I Do Believe He Is Just A Step I Have To Take” | UFC 332
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Imanol Rodriguez: “I Do Believe He Is Just A Step I Have To Take” | UFC 332
/
“A lot changed since that fight, and especially with the people around me,” he said. “I think I feel more professional, and [understand] how you have to have the humility and have to go back to the basics and the fundamentals, and the work that I have to put in to get to the places that I want to be.”
Rodriguez earned his spot in the UFC via a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series, but a stint on Season 33 of The Ultimate Fighter helped prepare him for life in the UFC. His time on the show saw him working under the tutelage of former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who imparted valuable advice to Rodriguez, and continues to be an inspiration now he’s established in the UFC.
Watch Every UFC Event On Paramount+
“There were many lessons from DC, someone that has been an ultimate professional and just helped me out a lot,” he said. “He goes so hard. There were moments that he got on to me, and he was very tough on me, but for good reason, and I learned a lot from that. He's always someone that's willing to help, and that's one of the things that he's done his entire life. Someone that looks back, someone that helps other people… I'm one of many people that he has helped in along his career, and I've found out that he's not just a great fighter and a double champ, but also a great person and someone who's given me advice financially, family, and many other things in life.”
Rodriguez will take on Alden Coria on Saturday, October 3 in Salt Lake City. It’s a serious test of the Mexican’s credentials as he takes on a 16-fight veteran who has gone 3-0 in the Octagon since signing with the UFC in the summer of 2025.
Imanol Rodriguez Notches Massive Turnaround Finish | UFC Mexico
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Imanol Rodriguez Notches Massive Turnaround Finish | UFC Mexico
/
“Alden Coria is a great fighter, and I don't say this every day to everyone,” he said. “Everybody who's a fighter here, I respect them a lot, and for everything they've done … and for being in this organization. But I have trained with some of the best people that have the same style, the same drive, same skills, and he has never seen somebody like me, somebody who won't be broken, somebody who will not give up or anything like that… So I do believe that there's a reason why people see me as a favorite and somebody that's the favorite in this fight, because I do have something that he's never seen in his life, and I do believe that he's just a step that I have to take on my way to the top.”
MORE UFC 332: Fighters On The Rise | Coach Conversation | Fight By Fight Preview
And when we asked how he plans on making that next step in Salt Lake City, Rodriguez explained clearly and concisely his plan for the fight, with the Mexican intending to stick to his tried-and-trusted approach to get the job done at UFC 332.
“Same formula as always, knocking him out,” he stated. “I'm gonna finish him.”
Victory over Coria would likely open things up for Rodriguez to move up the flyweight division and, if things go according to plan, he said he wants to be back in the Octagon again before the year’s out.
“I have a plan for this year, and that's to fight again in December,” he said. “So this is a win that needs to be clean, and you come out unscathed… I want to call out some people on the rankings and see somebody up in the rankings that I can fight.”
Purchase Tickets For Saturday's Event In Salt Lake City!
With his bout set for the featured prelim slot, Rodriguez knows he has the opportunity to deliver a statement to the rest of the 125-pound division and said there’s a clear message he wants to send to the rest of the flyweights in the UFC.
“To all those that are in front of me, you may not know me, but you will get to know me,” he said. “Anybody that's put in front of me, I will just power through them. I’m going to the top, and there’s a lot to be done.”
Rodriguez also sees the opportunity to deliver a message directly to the current undisputed flyweight champion Joshua Van, who is a regular member of Coria’s team.
READ: A Viewer's Guide To UFC 332
“I think that Joshua Van will be in the corner of Alden Coria,” he said. “So I think he's going to see that, if we cross paths, he's going to have a tough fight ahead of him, a tough challenge.
“First, I'll go for his friend, and then I'll go for him.”
UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags