Rodriguez On Headlining UFC After 8 Months In Jail

Daniel Rodriguez will headline UFC Belgrade this Saturday against Uros Medic after spending eight months in a Mexican prison for marijuana possession.

Rodriguez was arrested at the border last year and held in custody until his release in April, missing nearly a full year of competition during a three-fight win streak. The welterweight told MMA Fighting he questioned whether his career was over while behind bars. "There was a moment in time where I wasn't sure if I was going to get out and be able to continue my career," he said. "They wanted to actually give me a couple years, man, and if that was the case, I knew for sure my career was over."

Rodriguez Survived Jail With Inmates Serving Life

The 39-year-old kept training in his cell, holding onto faith that he would fight again despite prosecutors seeking a multi-year sentence that would have ended his octagon run. Rodriguez enters Saturday's main event riding wins over Kevin Holland, Mike Perry, and Kevin Lee across 14 UFC appearances. His most recent victory came over Holland at UFC 318 a year ago, just before the arrest.

Medic presents a dangerous test on home soil. The Serbian welterweight has finished three straight opponents in the first round, most recently destroying Geoff Neal in 79 seconds. Rodriguez said the experience changed how he sees everything. "I'm a survivor, man," he told MMA Fighting. "I was in there with people that are never getting out, and it made me appreciate my life so much more."

Rodriguez believes his story deserves the Hollywood treatment. "They need to make a movie out of this, bro," he said. A win on Saturday would give him four straight and position him for bigger fights in one of the UFC's deepest divisions. The card airs this weekend from Belgrade.

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• MMA Fighting — ‘They need to make a movie out of this, bro’: Daniel Rodriguez grateful to get UFC Belgrade headline spot after 8 months in Mexican prison