Daniel Rodriguez responds to Uros Medic comments about imprisonment: ‘I definitely feel like I’m gonna make him eat his words’
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.”
