Daniel Rodriguez says Uros Medic can have an opinion about his recent imprisonment in Mexico, but he plans on teaching Medic a lesson this weekend.
Rodriguez returns to action for the first time since his release from a Mexican prison after an eight-month stint to face Medic in the main event of UFC Belgrade.
Ahead of the matchup, Medic told MMA Fighting that Rodriguez’s situation was “unfortunate,” but it also puts a “stain on all of” the UFC and MMA fighters, and that he’s going out there to hurt his co-headliner. Rodriguez was asked to react to Medic’s words.
“I mean, he could try to hurt me,” Rodriguez told MMA Fighting. “We’re two different individuals, you know what I mean? He definitely grew up in a different situation than I have, so his mentality is very different than mine. Aside from being a great martial artist, he’s never been through the shit that I’ve been through in my life. So for him to say that I represent whatever he said is like, OK, that’s how you feel.
“But everybody makes mistakes. No one’s perfect. You never know, he don’t ever know. He could be in a messed up situation one day. So come Saturday, I definitely feel like I’m gonna make him eat his words.”
Both fighters have a lot of similarities. Not only are they entering the main event welterweight tilt on three-fight win streaks, but they also hoped to face former champion Leon Edwards after their most recent victories.
Rodriguez defeated Kevin Holland in a wild brawl at UFC 318 a year ago, while Medic destroyed Geoff Neal at UFC Houston in just over a minute in their matchup in February.
Medic believes a win could get him his wish for a fight with Edwards, and Rodriguez would be more than happy to get that opportunity.
“It’s a great matchup,” Rodriguez said. “Initially that’s the matchup that we wanted and we wanted to fight in Los Angeles, which is coming up in a few [weeks], but the UFC was very persistent on making this matchup and I think they did a great matchup for [the] UFC coming to Serbia for the first time. They got two bangers, two aggressive style fighters.
“I think he might be underestimating me. I have some of the best striking in the game. Very underrated. But I do hold the most strikes landed per minute in UFC’s welterweight division history. So, come Saturday, I mean, I’m definitely gonna put him to the test. He’s never really made it out of the first round. Either he gets finished or he’s finishing someone, and I definitely don’t see myself getting finished.”
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