Introduction
Thursday, May 26th, Mexican bantamweight prospect Luis Rodriguez will be in action for Lux Fight League, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Cesar Vazquez. He will be looking for another win, as Rodriguez looks to potentially earn his way into the UFC. He represents ADAM COATZACOALTOS, an unknown camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: Rodriguez is not only exciting on the feet, but he’s an excellent kickboxer/boxer. He moves well on the feet and uses angles well. His low kicks are solid, but it’s his hands that are lethal. He has big time power to go with his technical prowess. He can end the fight with one punch and has done so in the past. In his bout on the Contender Series against Jerome Rivera, he was clearly the better fighter on the feet and looked impressive.
Finisher: Rodriguez doesn’t like to go to the judges and that’s one of the reasons he’s endearing. He has finished six opponents via knockout, as well as three wins by submission (2 rear-naked chokes, 1 armbar). Him being a finisher not only keeps the fight in his hands, but is attractive to Dana White and the UFC brass, who love guys that end fights.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Wrestling: Mexico may be known for pro wrestling (lucha libre), but there aren’t exactly a hot bed of amateur wrestling. So, like a lot of the Mexican fighters, Rodriguez needs to work on his takedown defense. He looked good in his Contender Series bout against Jerome Rivera, but Rivera got the upper hand when he closed the distance and either pushed him against the cage or got him to the mat.
Outlook
Regional Showcase Fighter in UFC: Rodriguez is a solid young prospect and has the benefit of being from a country that the UFC actively markets in. Because of that, he will be on the UFC roster at some point. He will be a prelim fighter that gets showcased if/when the UFC brings the Octagon back to Mexico. There are certainly winnable matchups for him on the roster, but I am not sure it they are aplenty. At the very least, though, he will be in some exciting scraps.
MMA Intel 