Mike Rodriguez is looking forward to putting the Ed Herman controversy behind him.
At UFC Vegas 10 in September, Rodriguez landed a knee to the body of Herman that dropped him. Rodriguez would’ve needed a few punches to finish the fight, but the ref called time for a groin strike. However, video replay wasn’t used and Herman got five minutes to recover from a body shot and ended up submitting Rodriguez in the third.
Now, following the loss and the appeal being denied, Rodriguez is glad he is getting another fight to put all that behind him.
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“I didn’t understand it, I just took it how it is,” Rodriguez said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I’m just like how (did it get denied). I started seeing they used the instant replays afterward but I’m glad it went down in history as a change in this sport.
“That was the thing after that fight,” Rodriguez later added. “Mick Maynard told me I won that fight so I knew I was going to get matched against someone who had a win as well.”
When Mike Rodriguez makes the walk to the Octagon this Saturday night at UFC Vegas 18, he will battle Danilo Marques who is coming off a successful UFC debut. However, Rodriguez doesn’t put much stock into that win or his performance given it was Marques’ first fight in two and a half years.
“I could tell he was very rusty because he had a big layoff. I kind of give him a pass because he just came back,” Rodriguez said. “The best we will see of him will be this fight because he is coming off a win, a full camp, and has some momentum.”
Although Marques has some confidence and momentum, Mike Rodriguez believes he’s the better striker and expects to knock him out.
“I plan on knocking him out, I’m getting a finish,” Rodriguez said.
If he does indeed earn a KO win, Rodriguez believes he would inch closer to fighting a ranked light heavyweight.
“I’m creeping up there at light heavyweight, not at the rankings yet but creeping up there,” Rodriguez concluded.
Do you think Mike Rodriguez beats Danilo Marques?