LAS VEGAS – Daniel Rodriguez is aware of he’s no longer the A-side in his upcoming matchup with Kevin Lee, but he sees the UFC on ESPN 30 conflict as a massive different.
“I have this is a form of alternatives that you explore when, love, the no person goes against the somebody,” Rodriguez advised newshounds, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “This is going to be one of them circumstances the attach that no person turns exact into a somebody. I in point of fact feel love I’m very underestimated and underrated in this within the welterweight division, you admire? And I in point of fact feel love this is a possibility to illustrate all americans what I’m in point of fact made of.”
Rodriguez (15-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Lee (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) meet on the ESPN-broadcast valuable card of Saturday’s event at the UFC Apex. Lee was once before the entirety slated to face the undefeated Sean Brady, but when harm pulled that matchup apart, Rodriguez volunteered to step in as a replacement.
“After the closing fight, there was once a massive question, love, ‘What’s subsequent? Who’s subsequent?’” Rodriguez acknowledged. “Different came up – massive-ass identify, massive different.”
A worn UFC intervening time title challenger, Lee has been competing within the promotion for bigger than seven years, banking loads of headlining slots alongside the sort. Meanwhile, Rodriguez debuted for the UFC excellent 18 months within the past but has made some noise in that time and believes he’s primed for a breakout 2d.
To be a success, he’ll likely be pressured to manage with Lee’s superior wrestling sport, but Rodriguez says that’s nothing new. In spite of the entirety, he had been making willing to fight Abubakar Nurmagomedov in July sooner than one blueprint or the opposite being paired with Preston Parsons.
“On the discontinuance of the day, I in point of fact feel love I’m a technique larger striker than him,” Rodriguez acknowledged. “He could well fair be pleased some challenges on the feet with the wrestling. Each person’s love, ‘Oh, man, he’s going to blueprint shut you down,’ this and that – but, you admire, I don’t care about that, bro. My complete occupation I’ve been coaching for dudes attempting to blueprint shut me down because my fingers are so fair, you admire? I mean, that closing fight camp, I used to be once supposed to fight the Russian, and if I used to be once insecure about wrestling or takedowns, I wouldn’t try to fight that man, you admire? So, Kevin Lee is great one other wrestler who’s going to envision out to blueprint shut me down once I commence to connect it on him.”
A victory would give Rodriguez a three-fight winning jog within the UFC’s stacked welterweight division, no longer to mention raise him to a great 12-1 over his previous 13 overall matchups – and affords him a signature identify on that checklist.
The 24-year-former “D-Rod” is aware of what’s at stake, and with Lee returning from a 17-month layoff and shifting up a weight class within the job, Rodriguez plans on capitalizing on the 2d.
“My job is to preserve willing and ready for these short-query little fights that pop up and alternatives,” Rodriguez acknowledged. “I in point of fact feel abundant. I’m in my high. I’m on a roll exact now. I purchased abundant momentum, and I in point of fact feel love loads of that’s going to play reach into play.
“I’ve been active. He hasn’t, you admire? So I’ve been attend-to-attend tough fight camps, tricky fights, and I in point of fact feel love that’s going to illustrate. That has plenty to attain with how mentally focused I’m in this fight, so I’m willing.”
To eye the corpulent interview with Rodriguez, test out the video above.
