MIAMI – To most observers, Christian Rodriguez was an afterthought heading into UFC 287 as it felt more like he was an invited guest to 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr.’s coming out party.
And Rodriguez was OK with that.
“I’ve been underdog my whole entire life,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie and other reporters Saturday night after his win at Kaseya Center. “… I’m used to it. I’m used to always being overlooked, being the underdog in certain situations. For myself, I always have something to prove. Tonight was one of those days I knew I had something to prove.”
Rosas, who’s been heavily hyped since he signed a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series while he was still 17, was the reason for the fight getting placed as the pay-per-view opener. Rosas (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had a strong showing in Round 1 as he immediately shot for a takedown and worked hard to secure it, leading to a near-finish of Rodriguez (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with a submission attempt.
That’s where Rosas’ momentum ended as he seemingly gassed out after the first 5 minutes and was largely dominated in the grappling department in Rounds 2 and 3. In the end, the judges awarded Rodriguez a unanimous decision.
While Rosas may have been stronger and may have even possessed more talent, Rodriguez, 25, said it was his experience that won out.
“Me and him have a similar amount of fights, but I’ve been training with world champions my whole entire life,” Rodriguez said. “My coach is a world champion. Mark Choinski, he’s an All-American wrestler. So I’m used to world champion material. I know how to pace myself for the whole entire fight. I know I can’t just expect to get in a fight and steamboat over them. That’s not how it works.”
Now with a big win that derailed the hype train of a young prospect, Rodriguez is content to just enjoy the ride and not make any callouts.
“I’ll ride with the hype right now,” Rodriguez said. “I’m not gonna call out any names right now. I’ll just live day by day.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
