One UFC 318 fighter may have lost inside the cage five times but he claims to be undefeated on the streets.
The focus of Saturday’s pay-per-view is largely on Dustin Poirier’s retirement fight, as the fan-favorite lightweight veteran hangs up the gloves to bring an end to an 18-year career.
While the lineup for Poirier’s farewell is far from stacked, there are still a number of notable fighters looking to make the most of their outings, including welterweight veteran Daniel Rodriguez.
‘D-Rod’ has a number of prominent names on his UFC record, having defeated the likes of Mike Perry, Kevin Lee, Li Jingliang, and Santiago Ponzinibbio.
But his tally of nine wins falls short of his lifetime fight record…considerably short.
UFC 318’s Daniel Rodriguez said he is 200-0 on the street and in jail
Rodriguez started late in MMA compared to most, training in boxing and martial arts from his mid-twenties. But the Californian was not new to fighting.
During a 2021 interview with TMZ Sports during his second year as a UFC fighter, Rodriguez claimed to have accumulated an unblemished record in street and jail fights.
“That’s how this all started, it all started in the streets,” Rodriguez said. “It all started in the hood. I’m a hood baby. I’m from LA… I’m pushing at least 200 (street fights) if you count all the jail fights and s—t too.
“I’ve been through worse (than a UFC fight). There’s a referee in there, there’s somebody to stop it. I’ve been in situations where ain’t nobody going to stop it. It’s kill or (be killed), it’s Kill Bill over here.
“(My street fight record) is 200-0 man, let’s go! Ain’t nobody put hands on me,” Rodriguez added.
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Daniel Rodriguez revealed UFC contract offer came not long after jail release
Some of those 200 victories may have come right before Rodriguez arrived on MMA’s biggest stage.
While speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show after his latest UFC fight, ‘D-Rod’ disclosed that he had only just exited prison after serving time for a DUI when he earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
“I think that was a moment I realized like, ‘You know what? My life is not the same as it used to be,” Rodriguez said. “I’m so on-the-go, I cannot be in one place like that. Time is precious. I’m against the clock.
“I just made the decision there like, ‘Yo, this is it, bro.’ This is the last time I go to jail and I haven’t been since.”