Imanol Rodríguez’s UFC debut set for Ciudad de México main card
imanol rodríguez will make his UFC debut on 28 de febrero in Ciudad de México, stepping onto the main card at 125 libras against Kevin Borjas (10-4) after compiling a 6-0 professional record.
Imanol Rodríguez readies for UFC debut in Ciudad de México
The 26-year-old, known as "Himan, " has accelerated his preparation for the bout and spent the final weeks before the fight training in Mexico after completing one of his last sessions in Santa Rosa. He is scheduled to appear on the main card on 28 de febrero, matching his undefeated 6-0 run with a ranked opponent in Kevin Borjas, who enters the matchup 10-4 in his own career.
Training in Santa Rosa and Gilroy
In a late-January session at Sanchez Boxing MMA near Railroad Square in Santa Rosa, Rodríguez arrived through a back door carrying a camouflage backpack and warmed up with pink hand wraps. That day he completed a lighter session — jump rope, shadow boxing, pad work and bag work — and it was his second training of the day as part of an intensified plan that included splitting time between Sanchez’s gym in Santa Rosa and Daniel Cormier’s academy in Gilroy.
From The Ultimate Fighter to Contender Series and the UFC
Rodríguez first drew attention while competing on The Ultimate Fighter, where Team Cormier selected him as a third option and he advanced to the semifinal. He later earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series with a first-round technical knockout over Roque Conceição last fall, a win that directly secured his spot on a UFC roster and paved the way to the main-card assignment in Ciudad de México.
Rosendo Sánchez, owner of Sanchez Boxing MMA and Rodríguez’s longtime striking coach, highlighted the fighter’s commitment in the gym: “Su ética de trabajo es excepcional. ” Sánchez pointed to Rodríguez’s attention to detail and steady presence in training as distinguishing traits, and Rodríguez described Sánchez as a father figure, saying, “Se ha convertido en un padre para mí, ” after noting that his own father is in heaven.
Rodríguez’s pathway also included working alongside coaches who have trained elite names in the sport; Sánchez has been a striking coach for Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, and Rodríguez’s time with Cormier’s camp in Gilroy formed part of the build toward his UFC debut.
He will make his first Octagon appearance on 28 de febrero in Ciudad de México, facing Kevin Borjas on the main card at 125 libras. Rodríguez spent the bulk of February preparing in Mexico and will arrive at the fight with a 6-0 professional mark and the momentum from his Contender Series finish.
