Daniel Rodriguez not surprised he rose to the occasion under UFC Rio Rancho pressure

RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Daniel Rodriguez beat Tim Means with a second-round submission Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho, N.M.

Take a look inside the fight with Rodriguez, who got a $50,000 performance bonus in his short-notice UFC debut.

Result: Daniel Rodriguez def. Tim Means via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:37
Updated records: Rodriguez (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Means (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC)
Key stat: Rodriguez was the third biggest underdog on the card.

Rodriguez on the fight’s key moment

“I knew when I stunned and dropped him at the end of the first that it would take a whole lot longer than a minute to recover. Coming into the second round, I wanted to see how his movement was and just stuck to the game plan and didn’t rush it to try and get the finish. It worked out perfectly.”

Rodriguez on stepping up on short notice

“This is long overdue. I’ve been thinking about this since the first day I stepped into an MMA gym. I’ve worked so hard to be here. When I got the call on short notice, I thought to myself, ‘Who am I to turn down the UFC?’ I was going to fight, regardless.”

Rodriguez on what he wants next

“I feel like Tim Means is a very respected guy and I took him out. I always rise to the occasion. When the pressure is on, I perform way better. I don’t break under pressure, and that’s what I showed. I believe in myself and my team and I know I can keep showing I belong in there with anyone.”

To hear more from Rodriguez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.