Daniel Rodriguez vs. Rico Farrington
A Combate Americas and Bellator MMA veteran, Rodriguez enters the Octagon with tons of hype behind his name. The 8-1 professional fighter -- his only loss came in a close split decision -- is riding a four-fight winning streak and appears to be peaking at the perfect time. “D-Rod” is a tough-as-nails southpaw who loves to turn the match into a bloody war. The California native is an aggressive counterstriker and packs a lot of power into his blows. He has nice timing on his overhand left but tends to wing the punch and look for it too often. Rodriguez has as an iron chin and is willing to take a shot to deliver one of his own. Just because he is extremely tough does not mean he is not defensively sound. He does well at keeping his hands high to protect his head but sometimes leaves his midsection open to attack. Rodriguez is an underrated wrestler. He does not have the most explosive entries but does well at chaining his attacks together to get the takedown. He makes the mistake of attempting high-risk throws but is difficult to take down. The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu product has three submission wins on his record but sometimes neglects to use his wrestling skills.
Farrington is a massive welterweight, standing 6-foot-4 with a 79-inch reach. After starting his career 1-2, he has handled his business in six bouts in a row. The Floridian grew up in the Bahamas and has not fought in nearly 18 months due to injury. “The Triggerman” is a long and lengthy southpaw and a technically sound and accurate striker. The Island Fights and Titan Fighting Championship veteran is difficult to hit because he has great head movement and elusive footwork. He does well to circle away from his opponent’s attacks and cut different angles for his own offense. He uses his long legs well by blasting the inside of his adversary’s lead leg but does not use his jab enough to keep range. He does best when he is at his desired range and does not like when he is being pressured. The MMA Masters team member needs a lot of work on the ground. While his footwork makes him hard to close the distance against, the 30-year-old does not defend takedowns well and struggles to get off his back.
Farrington always has a size edge on his opponents, which becomes an even bigger advantage here due to Rodriguez being a former lightweight. If he can keep his distance and turn it into a technical battle, he should have his way. However, do not expect Rodriguez to take a step back. He will likely press forward into the pocket to land his big shots and also mix in a few takedowns. His relentless pace will cause “The Triggerman” to eventual fold, resulting in a late TKO via ground and pound. The fight will be a bloody battle that excites White and earns Rodriguez a shot in the UFC.
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