Zuffa Boxing
Julian Rodriguez: Repeat The Feat | Zuffa Boxing 06
‘Hammer Hands’ Is Already Off And Running In Zuffa Boxing, And He Doesn’t Intend To Slow Down As He Chases Glory In The Welterweight Division.
Julian Rodriguez made a great first impression on his Zuffa Boxing debut. Now he’s back, looking to take the "0" from another undefeated prospect.
“Hammer Hands” faced off against previously-unbeaten Cain Sandoval at Zuffa Boxing 01, and handed the Las Vegas local the first defeat of his career after 10 competitive rounds at the Meta APEX. Now Rodriguez returns looking to do exactly the same again as he faces another fighter with an unblemished record.
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Rodriguez takes on James Perella in a 10-round welterweight co-main event matchup in Las Vegas, and he’s arrived in town feeling on top of his game.
“I feel great, man,” he said. “I'm so calm. I'm locked in. I'm so ready for war.”
A war was exactly what Rodriguez got on his Zuffa Boxing debut as he battled back and forth with Sandoval over the full 10-round duration to earn scores of 99-91, 98-92, 99-91 to claim a statement victory. After a stop-start run that saw him only fight three times since the summer of 2021, the tough, competitive fight he got on his first Zuffa Boxing appearance was just what the doctor ordered.
“It was important to me, because it was the first fight with Zuffa, and I won both bonuses and stuff. But moreso, I was able to shake off some rust from being inactive for a while,” he said. “And I think it was against a game opponent. The guy was undefeated – at that time, my second undefeated guy that I kind of snatched up his 0, So, it's just another time for me to prove that I am the fighter that I say, to everyone who doesn't know yet.”
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Rodriguez has an impressive 25-1 record, and plans on building momentum in the welterweight division as he closes in on a potential shot at the inaugural Zuffa Boxing 147-pound title. He’s a seasoned vet, with a wealth of experience, and he said that he’s now in the best spot to fully leverage his expertise.
“Yeah, I'm only 31 years old,” he said. “I've been around boxing since I was seven years old, at a high level – national tournaments, Olympic alternate… I turned pro at 18 with the biggest promoter at that time. And now I'm here, again, signed to the biggest and best promoter of my time. So the only one left to work here is me.
Julian Rodriguez Fight Week Interview | Zuffa Boxing 06
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Julian Rodriguez Fight Week Interview | Zuffa Boxing 06
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“(Zuffa Boxing are) going to take over boxing, for sure. Dana (White), Nick Khan, Harrison Whitman, all these guys. They’re the machine. Whatever they want to happen, they press a button, they make it happen. And I know, especially now with this welterweight division (and) how it’s growing, this is where I need to be.”
Being a part of Zuffa Boxing has also coincided with Rodriguez hitting his mental and physical peak, and he said that everything is starting to come together in his career as a result.
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“It’s just my alignment. I'm so aligned these days – physical, mental, spiritual. I'm just the best version of myself,” he explained. “I have a strong team around me, management, training, team, everything. The only one left to work is me, and I feel like this is the best platform to do that – Zuffa Boxing… A lot of outside-the-ring stuff kept me inactive, and dealing with boxing business, and the cutthroat aspect of that, you know, where you fall into these traps or whatever. Then there was a period of time where I kind of lost a lot that I gained from boxing in terms of the financial stability and things like that.
“And in those times, I was able to really strengthen my mind and prioritize and just learn. I had to dig deep, to be honest. I have two children, so it was a lot of journeying going on, and I came out on the other end, with a clear vision, and I’ve just been unstoppable since.”
“Zuffa Boxing baby, I’m f***ing coming! May 10th!”@TeamHammerHands is ready to put on a SHOW 🤩#ZuffaBoxing06 | 📍: Meta APEX pic.twitter.com/jHRHagPjti
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) April 26, 2026
That vision is one that isn’t distracted by his opponents’ undefeated records, or any external noise around his bouts. Instead, he remains singularly focused on his own performance, and treats every fight like the biggest he’s ever had.
“Everything is from my lens, you know what I mean? This is my story,” he explained. “Every fight that I'm in, it doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, or if I'm the underdog, if they're the underdog, it's the biggest fight in my career, every fight moving forward. So that's how I handle it. That's what motivates me the most. And I pull from that, and I train incredibly hard because of that.”
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Rodriguez will concede significant height and reach advantages to Perella, but said that his experience will prove the key difference-maker when he takes on ”The Slim Reaper” on Sunday.
“I've been fighting bigger, taller, longer guys my whole life, so it doesn't matter. What matters is the ring IQ and experience when you get in there. And that's what I'm looking to showcase on Sunday May 10,” he said. “This is going to be a fight that I'm sure he trained real hard for. He knows the level and step-up that this is for him. I hope he came in shape, and I hope he elevates his game, because it's that time.”
And even though he cleaned up the bonuses at Zuffa Boxing 01, Rodriguez said he won’t fixate on the potential for a larger pay packet when he’s in the ring on Sunday night. Instead, he’ll just focus on getting the job done, safe in the knowledge that his performances will be suitably impressive to the powers that be.
“I'm just going to go and do what I do,” he stated. “I'm just going to be in my element, and that's it. This is my time. Me at 100 percent, I take all the bonuses at every show I'm at. I know what I have to offer, especially to the fans and to Zuffa, and that's what I'm looking to do, just be the best version of myself and show up.”
Everything is in place for Rodriguez to go out and deliver another big performance inside the Zuffa Boxing ring. And while the chance to eventually fight for a title is always a target to aim for, he’s not getting ahead of himself. Instead, he’s keen to just take his career one fight at a time, regardless of what could be down the line for him.
“I trust whatever Zuffa puts in front of me, as far as opponents and their direction with me,” he said. “So, whoever they put in front of me, I'm just I'm going to knock them off. And that's my main goal, just one fight at a time. I'm focused on what's in front of me. They could tell me I'm fighting Conor Benn next week. I'm still focused on James Perella on Sunday.”