"Pretty sure all of us got hooked up for taking these fights" - Daniel Rodriguez reveals he signed new five-fight deal before fighting Li Jingliang post UFC 279 main card reshuffle
Daniel Rodriguez has now shed some light on fighter compensation following the debacle at UFC 279, which forced a whole set of new matchups. Rodriguez's statement came despite Dana White claiming that all six athletes weren't paid extra.
Originally scheduled to face Kevin Holland in a 180lbs catchweight bout, the reshuffle matched up 'D-Rod' with Li Jingliang. While he was fortunate, 'Trailblazer' was not. After training to face a striker for the entire camp, he was pitted against Khamzat Chimaev, an undefeated, grapple-heavy rising star.
Having to change opponents on such short notice is never ideal. However, Daniel Rodriguez has snubbed Dana White's claims that each fighter wasn't given some type of reward for keeping the UFC 279 card intact.
"They hooked it up. I'm pretty sure all of us got hooked up for taking these fights. Yeah, I signed a new five-fight contract. Actually, I signed for this fight actually backstage at the ceremonial weigh-ins, and yeah, they offered me five more fights, so it's cool."
The 35-year-old went on to beat Li Jingliang in a razor-close three-round split decision victory. This extends his winning run to four straight inside the octagon and rightfully earns him a place in the welterweight rankings.
Nate Diaz confirmed that he lost count of how much money he was paid by the UFC for taking the short-notice clash against Tony Ferguson. Among those who confirmed they were rewarded was Kevin Holland's management team, insisting he was paid extra to take on the Khamzat Chimaev fight.
Check out what Daniel Rodriguez had to say about his new fight contract with the promotion in the video below:
Daniel Rodriguez: They hooked it up. I'm pretty sure all of us got hooked up for taking these fights.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/SBRCiHrv6r
What's next for Daniel Rodriguez following UFC 279?
As previously mentioned, Daniel Rodriguez had his hand raised against the dangerous Li Jingliang last time out, and is now ranked 14th in the division.
Despite losing to Khamzat Chimaev, the UFC will possibly want to rebook 'D-Rod' against Kevin Holland and have the two finally meet after years of back-and-forth.
Another option for the newly ranked welterweight would be a fan-favorite war against Vicente Luque. Luque will be looking to get back on track after suffering a devastating knockout in his most recent octagon appearance. A rematch with Li Jingliang could also be on the line for the Syndicate MMA star.