"I grew up in the jail system" - Daniel Rodriguez discusses Kevin Holland fight, ensures trash-talk won't affect him
During a recent interview, Daniel Rodriguez discussed his highly anticipated clash against Kevin Holland. He explained to fans why his opponent's trash-talk isn't going to faze him.
'D-Rod' has put in some stellar performances since arriving in the UFC just two years ago. Fighting his way to 6-1 in the promotion, the welterweight has scored some huge wins against Kevin Lee, Mike Perry, and veteran Tim Means. He hopes to continue his run and push towards a place in the top 15 of the division.
Rodriguez will compete in arguably his toughest test to date when he meets Kevin Holland in the octagon in just a few days' time. Ahead of the bout, the 35-year-old shared some words about his opponent and his trash-talk.
"I don't really care for him, like I said, it could have been anybody [standing across from me], but the fact that it's him is cool and yeah, it's going to be interesting with all the trash-talk that he does and his weird fight style that he does."
He added:
"People ask me like, 'Do you think it's gonna affect you that he's trash talking?' It really is not, I grew up in the jail system... I went [to] school in L.A., it's like if you don't talk sh** then you're just getting roasted, so I ain't tripping on nothing he says."
Throughout his career, Daniel Rodriguez has jumped between different weight classes. He found his home at welterweight after competing on Dana White's Contender Series back in 2019 and hasn't looked back since.
Check out what the UFC athlete had to say about his upcoming fight in the video below:
What does a win over Daniel Rodriguez mean for Kevin Holland?
Getting his hand raised at UFC 279 this weekend over the gritty Daniel Rodriguez would improve Kevin Holland to 3-0 in the UFC welterweight division.
The Texan has put on a showcase during his two fights in the division, collecting back-to-back finishes against Alex Oliveira and Tim Means. The 29-year-old made the correct call to move down in weight after seemingly struggling with the physical side of being a middleweight.
With his impressive standup game, black belt in jiu-jitsu, and ever-improving wrestling, many believe Kevin Holland could be a real force in his new division. However, he first has to bypass the threat posed to him by Rodriguez on September 10.