Mere weeks after an extremely competitive three-round fight with Li Jingliang, Daniel Rodriguez is already set to face off against another top 15 opponent.
According to a report via MMA Island, Daniel Rodriguez will now take on perennial gatekeeper and top 15 fighter, Neil Magny, with the bout targeted for October 15.
Rodriguez’s win over Jingliang at UFC 279 was arguably the biggest scalp he has claimed to date. It also put him on a four fight winning streak, having previously picked up wins over Kevin Lee, Mike Perry and Preston Parsons. ‘D-Rod’ now sits at No.14 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings, and is looking to enter the top 10.
Standing in his way is Neil Magny. ‘The Haitian Sensation’ holds a 26-9 record, having picked up wins over numerous high-level opponents, including the likes of Robbie Lawler, Geoff Neal, Kelvin Gastelum, and the aforementioned Li Jingliang. He also sits one place higher than Rodriguez in the divisional rankings, exemplifying just why this is such a good bit of matchmaking.
It is worth noting that whilst ‘D-Rod’ was victorious over ‘The Leech’ at UFC 279, there is footage post fight which shows Rodriguez speaking with his team about how hard Jingliang had hit him. He states: “He rocked me almost every time he hit me. I was like ‘what the f*** just happened.’ Like, I was blacked out.”
This may be a cause for concern for Rodriguez considering the short-notice nature of the fight with Magny.
Daniel Rodriguez reveals Li Jingliang rocked him almost every time he touched him.
: Thrill and the Agony pic.twitter.com/VShjUwKKck
— MMA mania (@mmamania) September 21, 2022
: Thrill and the Agony