Daniel Cormier celebrates UFC 332 knockout

Daniel Cormier had a close view of a major early moment in Imanol Rodriguez’s UFC run at UFC 332. Rodriguez, described as Cormier’s protege, earned a body-kick knockout of Alden Coria in the opening round and then immediately celebrated with Cormier outside the octagon. The result made Rodriguez officially 1-0 in his young UFC career, while also putting a clear spotlight on the training relationship behind the performance. Cormier’s involvement is more than a post-fight image. Rodriguez worked with the UFC Hall of Famer on The Ultimate Fighter and later asked him to continue training with him. Cormier, identified as a former two-division champion, put together a team to support Rodriguez. At UFC 332, that partnership was visible both in Rodriguez’s performance and in the embrace that followed the stoppage.

Rodriguez’s finish came after he displayed speed from the start of the bout. He landed a kick up the middle, and his toes dug into Coria’s midsection. Coria doubled over, fell to the ground in pain and the fight was stopped at 3:11 of the opening round. That sequence gives the result its defining detail: the bout ended on a body kick, not on an accumulation of scorecard points or an unconfirmed earlier score. The fight account also described Rodriguez as being in control from start to finish, highlighting his speed and accuracy throughout. Those observations help explain why Cormier’s celebration carried weight. Rodriguez did not simply leave UFC 332 with a debut victory; he delivered a decisive finish while representing the team Cormier assembled around him after their earlier work together.

Cormier’s support leads into Rodriguez’s UFC win

The link between Daniel Cormier and Rodriguez has a specific path. After working together on The Ultimate Fighter, Rodriguez asked Cormier to keep training with him. Cormier responded by putting together a team to support the flyweight prospect. UFC 332 was therefore a notable checkpoint for that arrangement, because Rodriguez’s first official UFC result was a first-round stoppage. Rodriguez addressed Cormier after the win and thanked him for the support. “This has been a long time coming,” Rodriguez said. “If somebody wants it, I’m going to want it more. Daniel Cormier you are the best person in the world, thank you for the support.” The comments tied the emotional aftermath directly to the relationship that had continued beyond their time on The Ultimate Fighter. Cormier was waiting outside the octagon when Rodriguez completed his post-fight interview. Rodriguez then leapt into Cormier’s arms to celebrate. It was a simple but unmistakable ending to the night: the fighter had produced a damaging body-kick finish, and the coach who built a support team around him was there for the immediate reaction.

The result also supplies firm early career context without overstating what comes next. Rodriguez is 1-0 in the UFC following the win over Coria. The material identifies him as a fighter to watch in the flyweight division, but it does not establish a ranking, a future opponent or a next booking. What is confirmed is the manner in which he announced himself inside the octagon: quick movement from the opening moments, accuracy during the fight and a body kick that ended it at the 3:11 mark of round one. That distinction matters when viewing Cormier’s role. The UFC 332 moment does not need a prediction attached to it to be significant. It records a concrete outcome for a fighter Cormier has helped support, alongside a direct public acknowledgment from Rodriguez. The post-fight embrace completed the story of a relationship that began with shared work on The Ultimate Fighter and continued with training after the show.

The UFC 332 moment in confirmed detail

Cormier’s presence frames the news, but Rodriguez supplied the in-cage action that made the celebration possible. The finish was described as brutal because of the immediate effect of the strike: Coria folded after the kick landed to his midsection and went down in pain. The official stoppage followed at 3:11 in the opening round. Rodriguez’s own words added another layer to the scene. His statement was not a callout or a forecast of a future fight. Instead, he spoke about how long the moment had taken to arrive, said he would want an opportunity more if someone else wanted it, and thanked Cormier. The response matched the visual that followed: Rodriguez ending his interview and jumping into Cormier’s arms. For Cormier, the UFC 332 sequence is a confirmed coaching milestone. He worked with Rodriguez on The Ultimate Fighter, continued training him after Rodriguez asked, and formed a team to support him. Rodriguez then earned his first UFC victory with a first-round body-kick knockout. Those connected details are the substance behind the celebration outside the octagon.

• Rodriguez finished Alden Coria with a body kick, with the official stoppage recorded at 3:11 in the opening round.
• Rodriguez worked with Daniel Cormier on The Ultimate Fighter, later requested continued training and thanked Cormier after the victory.

Daniel Cormier’s UFC 332 celebration followed a result with clear, verified significance for Rodriguez: a first-round body-kick knockout and a 1-0 start to his UFC career. Rodriguez’s thanks, the training history and the post-fight embrace all placed Cormier at the center of the moment without changing the essential result. The night marked an emphatic first UFC win for the fighter and a visible payoff for the support structure Cormier put around him.