LAS VEGAS – Imanol Rodriguez didn’t get a UFC contract on Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but his chances are looking pretty sweet after a violent finish of Roque Conceicao at Dana White’s Contender Series 85.
Rodriguez (6-0) put the heat on Conceicao (10-3) from the opening bell of the flyweight bout at the UFC Apex, and when he hurt him for the first time on the feet, didn’t relent in any way. He kept chasing the finishing blow as his opponent tries to survive, then a big uppercut sealed the deal and faceplanted his foe at the 2:12 mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay of Rodriguez’s highlight-reel knockout below (via X):
UFC CEO Dana White mouthed “holy sh*t” to the finishing sequence, giving Rodriguez the confidence that a UFC deal is coming his way.
“I want to fight Nov. 15 (at UFC 322 in New York),” Rodriguez said in his post-fight interview with Laura Sanko. “This i the start of a new era. (Daniel Cormier) is the best coach. You can count on these boys. We’re going to tear up every division.”
