Julian Erosa beat Christian Rodriguez with a first-round submission Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN 59 at Ball Arena in Denver.
Take a look inside the fight with Erosa, who picked up his second straight first-round guillotine choke win in 2024.
Julian Erosa def. Christian Rodriguez
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Julian Erosa (red gloves) fights Christian Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Result: Julian Erosa def. Christian Rodriguez via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:49
Updated records: Erosa (30-12 MMA, 8-7 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Key stats: Erosa has won seven of 10 fights in his third stint in the UFC.
Erosa on the fight's key moment
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Julian Erosa (red gloves) fights Christian Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“Christian’s technically, in my mind, a (1)35er, and I’m not the strongest guy at featherweight. I’m a big guy, and I knew I could get him down if I wanted to. I just wanted to see his striking, and I like to put a show on for the fans.”
Erosa on slugging it out early
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Julian Erosa (red gloves) fights Christian Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“We have a game plan, and the game plan wasn’t necessarily to brawl too early on. But I love that. You know how it is … There’s something about it. It’s an acquired taste, and I just love to bang.”
Erosa on what he wants next
Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Julian Erosa (red gloves) celebrates after submitting Christian Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
“I want to get at least one more fight, if not two more, before the end of the year. I just want to stay busy and active. … I prefer to fight every three or four months, especially if I’m healthy.”
To hear more from Erosa, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.
UFC on ESPN 59
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