Imanol Rodriguez Sets Coria Finish Goal

Imanol Rodriguez entered his second UFC appearance with a direct objective: finish Alden Coria and show the flyweight division that he has developed since his debut. The Mexican flyweight was scheduled to meet Coria on Saturday, October 3, in Salt Lake City, with Rodriguez describing himself as a more professional and more dangerous fighter following his first UFC victory. His comments centered on growth rather than simply the result of one bout, pointing to fundamentals, humility and the work he believes is required to keep moving forward.

Rodriguez’s first trip to the Octagon came in February against Kevin Borjas at UFC Mexico City. He overcame early adversity in that contest before stopping Borjas by second-round TKO in a Performance of the Night display. The win moved his professional record to 7-0, but Rodriguez said the experience also exposed areas he wanted to improve. Rather than presenting adversity as an exception, he described it as a situation he had confronted before and one that required him to return to the basics. That response supplies the central context for his Coria plans: Rodriguez was not only carrying an unbeaten record into the matchup, but also applying lessons he said he learned from his UFC debut.

Rodriguez links development to his UFC debut

The Borjas fight gave Rodriguez an early example of how he wanted to respond when a contest does not unfold smoothly. He said he needed to fix mistakes, do better and become a better professional. Rodriguez later expanded on that point by saying that a lot had changed since the fight, particularly with the people around him. In his view, professionalism includes humility, a return to fundamentals and a commitment to the work needed to reach the places he wants to go. Those are his stated standards for progress as he seeks to raise his game to the level of established contenders in the 125-pound division. His route to the UFC also included a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series and a stint on Season 33 of The Ultimate Fighter. Rodriguez worked under former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier during his time on the show. Rodriguez said Cormier was tough on him for good reason and that he learned a lot from those moments. He also credited Cormier with advice that reached beyond fighting, including financial and family guidance. The significance in Rodriguez’s own account is clear: the preparation for UFC life was not confined to a single win or a single training session.

The Coria matchup represented a different kind of measuring point. Rodriguez called Coria a great fighter and said he respected what every fighter in the organization had done to reach that stage. Coria was identified as a 16-fight veteran who had gone 3-0 in the Octagon since signing with the UFC in the summer of 2025. Rodriguez nevertheless argued that his own preparation had included training partners with a similar style, drive and skill set to Coria’s. He said Coria had not faced someone like him and emphasized that he would not be broken or give up. Rodriguez also addressed his status as a favorite in the fight, saying he believed he possessed something Coria had not seen. That is Rodriguez’s assessment, not a result or a guarantee. His more concrete statement was about his intended method. Asked how he planned to take the next step in Salt Lake City, Rodriguez said his usual formula was to knock his opponent out and that he was going to finish him. The bout was set for the featured prelim slot at UFC 332, an opportunity Rodriguez said could send a statement across the UFC flyweight field.

A clean win was part of Rodriguez’s plan

Rodriguez connected the Coria fight to a wider plan for the year. He said he wanted to compete again in December, but framed that goal around a clean victory and leaving the contest unscathed. He also said he wanted to call out fighters in the rankings and find an opponent from that group. These were ambitions Rodriguez stated before the bout, rather than confirmed future bookings or a guaranteed divisional move. His message to flyweights ahead of him was equally forceful. Rodriguez said that fighters in front of him might not know him yet but would get to know him, and he said he intended to power through whoever was placed in front of him. He also believed Joshua Van would be in Coria’s corner because Van is a regular member of Coria’s team. Rodriguez said a potential meeting with Van would be a tough fight and challenge, while making clear that Coria came first.

• Rodriguez’s February UFC debut ended with a second-round TKO of Kevin Borjas after he overcame early adversity.
• Rodriguez said a victory over Coria needed to be clean if he was to pursue another fight in December.

Rodriguez’s pre-fight focus was therefore broader than a single finish prediction. He presented the Borjas victory as evidence of resilience, the work after it as a necessary correction and the Coria matchup as the next test of that more professional approach. UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 3, 2026. No result from Rodriguez’s bout is included here, but his stated objective before the event was unmistakable: produce a clean performance, seek a finish and continue building at flyweight.