Imanol Rodriguez came out swinging last Saturday at UFC 332, delivering a brutal teep kick to Alden Coria’s midsection that literally made Coria scream. The kick was so devastating it ended the featured prelim at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 3:11 of Round 1 via TKO. It was a wild finish that had everyone talking.
Rodriguez’s Ruthless Ascent
Man, Rodriguez is on a roll. This dude, only 26 years old, is now 8-0 in MMA and 2-0 in the UFC, and he’s not just winning, he’s finishing fights. He was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 33” and after the show, he moved out to California to train with the legend Daniel Cormier. You could see Cormier celebrating on the broadcast after that TKO, just beaming. Rodriguez heaped praise on his coach after the fight, and you can tell that training is paying off big time. He’d already finished Kevin Borjas earlier this year with strikes in February, so this isn’t a fluke. Rodriguez has made it super clear he’s got Joshua Van in his sights, and taking out one of Van’s main training partners like this? That’s a huge statement.
The End of Coria’s Run
For Alden Coria, man, that had to hurt. Not just the kick, but the loss itself. The 28-year-old was having an incredible run, boasting a four-fight winning streak in the UFC, and this was his first loss in the promotion. When that kick landed, Coria folded over backward and was just writhing in pain on the canvas. It was tough to watch, but a testament to how precise and powerful Rodriguez’s strike was. Coria’s record now stands at 13-4 overall and 3-1 in the UFC. Breaking a four-fight streak like that has gotta sting.
UFC 332 had some other wild finishes too, with Damian Pinas, Marcus McGhee, Anthony Wint, Johnny Walker, and Jacobe Smith all snagging knockout wins in Round 1. Alexander Hernandez picked up a TKO in Round 2, and Eric Nolan got one in Round 3. We even saw a unanimous decision win for Ismail Naurdiev. But the one everyone’s replaying is that Rodriguez kick. What’s next for Imanol Rodriguez? With a performance like that and his clear intention, it feels like his path to Joshua Van just got a whole lot clearer. Get ready for some more fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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