Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Daniel Rodriguez describes Donald Cerrone’s BMF Ranch as a Disneyland for fighters.
Daniel Rodriguez is working hard and playing hard at Donald Cerrone’s BMF Ranch.
Rodriguez caught up with Bloody Elbow following his win over Gabe Green at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns in late May. “D-Rod” spoke enthusiastically of his time at the BMF Ranch with “Cowboy” Cerrone and Joe Schilling.
“It’s a fighter destination,” Rodriguez said. “Me going out there is like a kid in a toy store. It’s an unbelievable experience. It’s probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to in the world. The dude has everything… He has the dune buggies. He is building a race track. He has a paintball course. He has a bar. He has a f—king airplane hanger for a tool shed. He has mountain bikes for days. He has a gym, a sauna. The guy has everything a fighter needs to have the perfect fight camp.”
Rodriguez made an emphatic UFC debut in February, cashing in as a moderate underdog with a second-round submission win over veteran Tim Means.
“I learn a lot about myself in every fight,” Rodriguez reflected. “The Tim Means fight was an amazing fight, but I haven’t reached that level of competition. I haven’t had those real barn-burner fights where I’m all busted up. I barely come out with injuries. The UFC is somewhere I was always meant to be with all the great performances I put on before. I think I’m going to get to a really, really high level. The Tim Means fight assured me I have so much more to gain.”
Rodriguez (12-1) is scheduled to fight Takashi Sato (16-3) at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Munhoz at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on August 22.