Daniel Rodriguez intended to celebrate his latest UFC win under much better circumstances than he did. Instead, a short weekend trip turned into a long, nightmarish eight months.
After enduring a three-fight skid from 2022-24, the welterweight veteran rallied to rebound with three straight wins, culminating at UFC 318 against Kevin Holland last July. Rodriguez, 39, has been a ghost ever since, causing the MMA world to wonder where he vanished to. Last week, Rodriguez’s answer came as a big surprise — he revealed on social media he’d been incarcerated in a Mexican prison in Tijuana.
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Speaking Monday on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Rodriguez said he and a friend were on their way to Mexico for vacation two weeks after his Holland win. That’s when everything went awry.
“I went on vacation to cross the border of Mexico,” Rodriguez told Uncrowned. “Forgot I had a little bag of weed with me, man. It was under an ounce and got pulled over at the line and got checked — the border patrol were tripping on the weed.
“I was thinking I was only going to be in [jail] there for probably the weekend, maybe a little bit shorter, but the laws over there out there in Mexico, they’re way different. They don’t play no games. So what I was thinking would be a little weekend or maybe overnight turned into eight months, man. And the prime and the smack of my career, man.
“This was my first time in a Mexican jail and I can tell you one thing — it’s the worst possible situation.”
Rodriguez recalled getting a gut feeling before approaching the border. Despite considering tossing the bag ahead of time, he didn’t listen, and it cost him more than the value of what was on his person.
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According to Rodriguez, the car he was driving didn’t have any tags on his front license plate, which prompted border control to conduct a search. Rodriguez’s friend was also arrested and put in prison for eight months.
“Usually, there’s opportunities to get yourself out of certain situations over there in Mexico,” Rodriguez said. “I was hoping for that. I had a wallet full of cash with me at the time, and I tried to see if I could catch a break. I tried to see if they could help me out. It wasn’t the police — it was actually the border patrol, the National Guard. They don’t play no games. I didn’t realize that they take it so seriously, and potentially, they hit me with a smuggling charge. So over there, I guess that’s a really big deal. And I tried to offer some money to get me out right there on the spot, but they weren’t going for it, man.
“They tried to make an example out of me. I was trying to keep a low profile, trying not to let them know who I am and who I was. And it didn’t work out — it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, man.
“It was the most horrible situation you can think of.”
A trip to prison isn’t a new experience for Rodriguez, as he’s openly spoken about his time incarcerated in his youth. Mexico was different, though. At times, he felt hopeless and entirely unsure of when he’d return home, given the differences between the two countries’ judicial systems and concerns — or lack thereof — for his case.
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Rodriguez said he was originally supposed to be released in March. And while the extended stay exceeded any and all expectations, the UFC welterweight did his best to make do, managing to achieve “VIP” status among his fellow prisoners and the facility’s guards throughout his stay.
“To be honest with you, man, it’s just certain privileges,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t want to give away too much because some I don’t want to burn the spot for some of the guys. They’re still living in there, and those little things go a long ways.
“I was fortunate to have some of that, man. It’s not cheap, but I was able to communicate with my friends and family and a few loved ones. That’s pretty much all I needed, man. I just needed support. I didn’t expect to be in there that long. I mean, eight, almost nine months for a bag of weed is insane. I never thought twice, coming from here in California, in Las Vegas, the cops don’t even worry about that stuff, you know? Went over to Mexico, and I guess in Mexico it’s not even legal yet. So they tried to throw the book at me. It just took me all that time to work out a deal with them.”
Rodriguez may have had it better than others in small ways, as he mentioned. But that didn’t make the overall living situation all the more beneficial, especially for a professional athlete.
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In terms of a typical day’s food, Rodriguez called it the “bare minimum,” living off low-protein soups, and servings of tortillas, rice, beans, carrots and potatoes. Finding time to exercise was also a struggle, but thankfully, Rodriguez’s cellmate happened to have some boxing training, which allowed for some technique sharpening whenever possible.
“We only went to the yard like twice a week, and those days were the only days I would get to run,” Rodriguez said. “I spent the whole time running. I probably looked like a crazy-a** dude out there just running laps and laps and laps. But it’s only twice a week. I think the worst part about the whole thing was the food. I feel a little bit unhealthy, a little malnourished. I think that was the toughest part, the nutrition in there.
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“I was coming off that big fight and my body was healthy and in the best shape ever, and then to thrown [in there] and locked in a jail cell and just put in one spot, and just given the bare minimum of food to eat, it just was terrible, man. … The living conditions were horrible.”
“In there, it’s a whole other world,” he added.
Rodriguez said Mexican UFC featherweight Yair Rodriguez and even the UFC itself tried to “pull some strings” to help facilitate his release, but “the Mexican government, they weren’t having it.”
It could have been much worse for Rodriguez, and he’s aware of that, given the current global climate. Ultimately, he found his way to freedom, but not without striking a deal that left him short of words.
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“I can’t really speak on the details of it, but it’s — yeah, it came at a price,” Rodriguez said of the mechanisms that secured his release. “I don’t even know if I can say that.”
Now, “D-Rod” is ready to turn the page back to his MMA career and keep his win streak alive.
The UFC welterweight division is hotter than it’s been in recent years, opening the door to several fun possibilities. Fresh off a win this past weekend, the aforementioned Holland has already contacted him for a rematch, Rodriguez revealed. Instead, Rodriguez is aiming bigger — like, former champion bigger.
“There’s some good offers. Kevin Holland tried to slide in my DMs yesterday, and I’m not interested in that. I already beat him,” Rodriguez said. “I know he won [Saturday], but I really want to shoot for the stars, man. I really want to take this to the highest level possible. We’re possibly looking at a matchup versus Leon Edwards.
“Ideally, a solid three months, I’ll be ready.”
