In 2002, Rodriguez was on top of the MMA world when he defeated Randy Couture to become the UFC heavyweight…
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Chris Palmquist
May 2, 2010 · 1 min read
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In 2002, Rodriguez was on top of the MMA world when he defeated Randy Couture to become the UFC heavyweight champion. At the time, he was just 25 years old and seemed to have the world in front of him. Three fights and three losses later, Rodriguez was out of the UFC and his life began to spiral out of control, but now there’s hope that Rodriguez is turning things around and working towards redemption.
Last night in Waterloo, Iowa, the now 32-year-old Rodriguez knocked out veteran journeyman Travis Fulton, earning his sixth straight win.
Before the fight, Rodriguez, who at one time weighed over 300 pounds and has fought at heavyweight for years, told The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier that he had plans on changing his weight class.
“This will shock a lot of people, but I’m really looking forward to dropping down to 205 and the light-heavyweight division,” Rodriguez told the paper, who noted that he showed up to the pre-fight press conference at a “svelte 218.”
