MEXICO CITY – Ronaldo Rodriguez is embracing his popularity ahead of UFC on ESPN 64.
Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes on Kevin Borjas (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in Saturday’s flyweight main card opener (ESPN2, ESPN+) at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
“Lazy Boy,” who’s already amassed 2 million followers on Instagram, admits he was hoping for a higher billing on the card.
“It would have been great for me to actually be a co-main event, but this is what you get, and this is what you make the most out of,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Getting close to the title, that’s what we want to do.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, and I don’t know how many fights it’s going to take for me to get there. It may take time. Experience comes with time, and with this time and the experience I’m getting, I know I’m going to be a champion. I already feel like a champion, like a Mexican champion. The only thing missing is a belt, and I will get that chance.”
Rodriguez isn’t entirely surprised to see his fandom skyrocket with just two UFC fights under his belt.
“The success, yes, because this has been the byproduct of so much work, so many years,” Rodriguez said. “I have worked and dedicated myself to this for so many years to keep going. You know what I’ve been through – I fought this my entire life, and I dedicated myself.
“Everyone knows here: We’re Mexican and nothing gets gifted to us. This is earned, and we go through a lot of things to get where we need to go. So the success that I’ve gotten, I didn’t expect it to be that quick, but yes, I expected this level of success.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
