Imanol Rodriguez
Career Averages
Win Methods (1)
Fight History
Totals
| Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imanol Rodriguez | 1 | 46 of 84 | 54% | 55 of 93 | 1 of 3 | 33% | 0 | 0 | 3:33 |
| Kevin Borjas | 2 | 22 of 52 | 42% | 24 of 54 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | KD | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Total Str. | TD | TD % | Sub. Att | Rev. | Ctrl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imanol Rodriguez | 0 | 12 of 22 | 54% | 21 of 31 | 1 of 1 | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3:28 |
| Kevin Borjas | 2 | 12 of 23 | 52% | 14 of 25 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 | |
| 2 | Imanol Rodriguez | 1 | 34 of 62 | 54% | 34 of 62 | 0 of 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0:05 |
| Kevin Borjas | 0 | 10 of 29 | 34% | 10 of 29 | 0 of 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 0:00 |
Significant Strikes
| Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imanol Rodriguez | 46 of 84 | 54% | 35 of 67 | 7 of 11 | 4 of 6 | 30 of 63 | 2 of 4 | 14 of 17 |
| Kevin Borjas | 22 of 52 | 42% | 17 of 45 | 3 of 5 | 2 of 2 | 20 of 49 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 |
Significant Strikes Per Round
| Rd | Fighter | Sig. Str. | Sig. Str. % | Head | Body | Leg | Distance | Clinch | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imanol Rodriguez | 12 of 22 | 54% | 9 of 17 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 | 6 of 14 | 0 of 0 | 6 of 8 |
| Kevin Borjas | 12 of 23 | 52% | 10 of 20 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | 10 of 20 | 2 of 3 | 0 of 0 | |
| 2 | Imanol Rodriguez | 34 of 62 | 54% | 26 of 50 | 6 of 10 | 2 of 2 | 24 of 49 | 2 of 4 | 8 of 9 |
| Kevin Borjas | 10 of 29 | 34% | 7 of 25 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 10 of 29 | 0 of 0 | 0 of 0 |
Play-by-Play
View on SherdogBETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rodriguez (-400); Borjas (+325)
Round 1
Making his UFC debut with six finishes in six fights, Mexico’s Rodriguez (6-0, 0-0 UFC) is en fuego and plans on handing fellow slugger Borjas (10-4, 1-3 UFC) his fourth loss in five walks to the Octagon. Keeping tabs on the flyweights will be referee Raul Porrata, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice after the fighters share a fist bump.
The unbeaten speedster starts off the fight by firing off several quick punches and kicks that are so fast, Borjas cannot do anything but watch as he absorbs them. Rodriguez beats him to the punch and kick repeatedly, and the counters do not even start to come back at him yet because he is out of reach seconds after he connects. Borjas uncorks a bomb of a left hand when Rodriguez swings in the pocket and sends him flying, and Porrata is just about to run and stop the fight. Porrata peels back as Rodriguez bounces back to his feet, and Borjas rushes at him and drops the youngster again. Rodriguez miraculously gathers his thoughts and completes enough of a takedown to put Borjas on his back and start recovering.
Rodriguez slows himself down, preferring to maintain top position and strike with his elbows rather than looking for a finish and burning out his gas tank. Rodriguez holds on from half guard, and Porrata starts calling for more activity. Rodriguez keeps busy with ground-and-pound, and Borjas clings to his man off his back. Rodriguez postures up and drills Borjas with a flush elbow, and Borjas ties him up again in hopes of getting the standup he seeks. Rodriguez slashes down with more elbows, covering Borjas’ mouth with his free hand to further make life miserable. Rodriguez’ elbows keep drilling the Peruvian athlete in the dome, but they do not wound him externally. Rodriguez jumps into mount with seconds to go, and Borjas climbs up when the bell sounds. Rodriguez gets in Borjas’ face when the round ends, and Porrata has to separate them and send them back to their respective corners.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Borjas
Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Borjas
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Borjas
Round 2
The fighters clap hands to get going in the second stanza, with Rodriguez striking first with a low kick and missing on huge haymakers that follow. Borjas kicks him back, and he is checked. Rodriguez darts in behind a left hook, and Borjas probes out with an intercepting jab. Borjas pump-fakes his hips as if to threaten with something, and this stifles Rodriguez from committing to much. Rodriguez pitches out single strikes at a time, and the two both offer front kicks. Rodriguez swings for the fences with a pair of punches, only for Borjas to be out of the way in time. Rodriguez swarms Borjas with a short flurry, and Borjas’ head movement keeps him relatively safe as he backpedals. When Rodriguez engages again, Borjas is ready in the pocket to trade back, resulting in Rodriguez pulling back a bit. The speed advantage is not nearly as significant, as Rodriguez runs forward and holds his left hand out to graze Borjas’ eye with his fingertips. Porrata calls time, and Borjas takes a few seconds to recover from what was a not-too-terrible eye poke.
Rodriguez punches his way into a frantic takedown shot, and he bangs into Borjas against the wall and is pushed back with a hard right hand. Rodriguez prods out his jab and shoots for a single, holding Borjas’ leg in the air and slugging him in the face with a trio of punches before disengaging. Borjas catches Rodriguez on the sides of the head with two punches, and Rodriguez freezes him with a shovel left uppercut. Rodriguez goes wild and falls over when swinging so hard, and he recovers to offer a spinning elbow that bounces off the guard.
Rodriguez digs a kick to the body and whips out a right hand that scrambles Borjas’ circuits. A stunned Borjas blinks a few times, but does not realize that he is as hurt as he actually is. Borjas’ spirit may be willing but his flesh is spongy and bruised. “El Gallo Negro” slumps to the floor, the fight having fully left his body, and he feebly holds his arms over his head to protect from the pounding he expects to come. Rodriguez lets him have it with a final barrage of standing-to-ground punches as Porrata rushes in to stop the fight
, and that makes it 7-0 for the youngster from Mexico. The crowd goes wild for their local fighter, who survived some adversity and made it out the other end with a knockout victory.
The Official Result
Imanol Rodriguez def. Kevin Borjas R2 4:21 via TKO (Punches)
Expert Picks (11)
Angelo picks Imanol Rodriguez, noting his fast, clean striking and one-punch knockout power. He highlights Rodriguez's heart and composure even in his loss, and believes he will win outright. He considers Rodriguez one of the safer larger favorites on the card.
Big Brady picks Imanol Rodriguez, calling him a prospect to watch with impressive striking, volume, and forward pressure. He notes Kevin Borjas had a bizarre low-volume performance in his last fight and believes Rodriguez is better everywhere. He predicts a second-round knockout.
Cody picks Rodriguez but worries about his tendency to go all-out and gas at altitude. He notes Borjas's poor striking defense and the poor record of his gym. He took Rodriguez by KO at +130 as a prop.
Connor agrees, calling Rodriguez a triple-A prospect who looks like a future title contender. He notes that Borjas has some counterpunching ability but will struggle to deal with Rodriguez's ferocious pressure and speed. Connor believes Rodriguez's combination of athleticism and technical skill will be too much for Borjas.
Daniel does not discuss this fight in the transcript.
The host believes Rodriguez is most likely to win but the odds are too wide at -454. He notes that Rodriguez is a grappler with good cardio, while Borjas is a volume striker who may fade at altitude. However, since Rodriguez is making his UFC debut and the odds are extreme, the host passes on betting.
James is high on Rodriguez as a prospect, citing his impressive performance against Joseph Morales and his aggressive, powerful style. He believes Rodriguez's pressure and body work will break Borjas, who tends to fade under pace. James predicts a KO win for Rodriguez.
The host picks Imanol Rodriguez inside the distance, citing his wrestling background, finishing ability, and overall advantages. He believes Rodriguez will land big shots, change levels, and work to a dominant position on the ground. He considers Rodriguez a future title contender and recommends him as a parlay piece.
Paul is high on Rodriguez's talent, speed, and power. He notes Borjas's durability but lack of offense and poor recent form. He expects Rodriguez to land big shots and win, though he cautions about the -450 price and Rodriguez's inexperience.
The MMA Guru picks Imanol Rodriguez, praising his boxing, head movement, and maturity. He notes that Rodriguez had a close split decision with Joseph Morales but showed good grappling, while Kevin Borjas only has a win over Ronaldo Rodriguez, who is not that good. He also mentions the Mexico City altitude advantage for Rodriguez.
Zane picks Rodriguez as a blue-chip prospect with elite athleticism and a well-rounded game. He notes that Borjas is too dependent on being the stronger or more technical fighter, and Rodriguez is both athletic and technical. Rodriguez's wrestling and aggressive striking will overwhelm Borjas, who has struggled against better athletes.
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