Imanol Rodriguez showed so much promise that UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier built a team around him and now he’s officially 1-0 in the octagon following a brutal body kick knockout at UFC 332.
Showing off his blistering speed from the jump, Rodriguez ended the fight with a kick right up the middle and as soon as his toes dug into Alden Coria’s midsection, he doubled over and fell to the ground in pain to end the fight.
The official stoppage came at 3:11 in the opening round.
“This has been a long time coming,” Rodriguez said after his win. “If somebody wants it, I’m going to want it more. Daniel Cormier you are the best person in the world, thank you for the support.”
After working together on The Ultimate Fighter, Rodriguez asked Cormier to continue training with him so the former two-division champion put together a team to support him.
Saturday showed how much the hard work is paying off as Rodriguez was in control of the fight from start to finish as he displayed blistering speed and accuracy throughout. The body kick to end the fight was nasty as he connected and Coria just melted to the canvas.
Now 1-0 in his young UFC career, Rodriguez finished his post-fight interview and immediate leapt into Cormier’s arms as he waited outside the octagon to celebrate with his young fighter.
