Outside Source
This one got the boss OUT OF HIS SEAT 😱
Imanol Rodriguez gets the first round finish!
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[ #TUF33 airs on Tuesday | 10pmET ] pic.twitter.com/Fmkwj3Ug8B— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) June 11, 2025
Imanol Rodriguez left a lasting impression on Dana White.
The 25-year-old Mexican punched his ticket to the flyweight semifinals with a first-round technical knockout victory against India’s Arshiyan Memon on Episode 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter 33. The finishing sequence brought the UFC CEO out of his cageside seat in appreciation.
“That’s one of the best fights I’ve seen in a minute,” White said.
After a kick from Memon landed below the belt early and resulted in a brief pause in the action, Rodriguez went on the attack. About 90 seconds in, the Team Cormier representative connected with a body kick that had Memon on the retreat. Rodriguez swarmed with ground-and-pound in pursuit of the finish, but Team Sonnen’s Memon was able to regain his bearings and return to his feet.
Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez sprawled on a takedown and transitioned to the back. He briefly flattened Memon out, and then assumed full mount as his adversary attempted to scramble out of danger. Somehow, Memon returned to his feet and went on the offensive with a barrage of punches.
“This fight’s got me on the edge of my seat, man,” White said.
Memon’s rally was only fleeting, however. Rodriguez took control with a series of right hands to the head that had his opponent covering up and moving backward. Rodrigez continued to tee off until referee Mark Smith had seen enough and waved off the fight for a standing TKO.
“The punches he was landing on the outside, you could hear the impact,” said Rodriguez coach Daniel Cormier.
On the losing side, Chael Sonnen had nothing but praise for his charge
“Arshiyan was presented with three opportunites to quit that fight,” Sonnen said. “He chose to fight.”
Team Cormier is now up 2-1 on Team Sonnen, and White was buzzing about the potential of Rodriguez in the aftermath of the finish.
“Imanol looks like the kind of fighter we want in the flyweight division,” White said.
Next week, Team Cormier’s Jefferson Creighton will collide with Team Sonnen’s Andreeas Binder in a welterweight scrap.
“All I ask is the best fight of the season,” Creighton said to his foe during their faceoff at the end of the episode.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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