Ray Rodriguez says he’s ‘tougher’ than Dana White’s Contender Series opponent Tony Gravely

Looking back over his 2019 so far, bantamweight up and comer Ray Rodriguez is pretty pleased with how things have been going.

In two bouts this year, Rodriguez has picked up back to back finishes, spending just over two and a half minutes total in the cage combined for both fights.

“I had fight in January for the XFN title against Jimmy Flick, who was a really tough competitor, and I won that fight with a second round knockout,” Rodriguez told MMAWeekly.com.

“I wanted to get right back and not sit around and wait, so luckily I was able to get the match-up with Nick Mamalis, who is another tough veteran. I fought him and got a first round finish.”

For Rodriguez, his performances against Flick and Mamalis were indicative of the style he brings to the table in each of his fights.

“One thing we always push is the finish,” said Rodriguez. “I do not like going to the judges. I do not like the fight to be in the hands of anyone else but myself.

“I’ve gotten finishes over very high quality opponents, so it shows how hard we’ve been training with the training partners I’m with and the coaches I have. Everything is coming together nicely this year and I’m looking to showcase a highlight reel finish (in my upcoming fight).”

On August 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Rodriguez (15-5) will look to punch his ticket to the next level when he faces Tony Gravely (18-5) in a main card 135-pound at Dana White’s Contender Series 2019 Week 9.

This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com

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