LAS VEGAS – In an unusual turn of events, Gregory Rodrigues accomplished the rare feat of going from LFA title challenger to former champion in less than 24 hours.
Less than 24 hours after his knockout of Josh Fremd to earn the vacant middleweight title May 21 at LFA 108, Rodrigues (9-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) got the call he’s been waiting a lifetime for: Rodrigues will take on Dusko Todorovic (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 189.
“My manager, he called me,” Rodrigues told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight media day held Wednesday. “I was with my friends, celebrating the belt, like I said. My phone started ringing, and then I got the phone and then it saw it was my manager and of course, I’m thinking something happened, you know, and then he said, ‘Hey, how are you feeling?’ And I said, ‘I feel great. I’m just tired. I’m celebrating right now, but I didn’t sleep last night.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you didn’t sleep?’ He said, ‘Yeah, you’re probably not going to sleep this night too, because you just signed with the UFC. I said, ‘What? I did?’
“I don’t ask about the opponent. I think they give me the step I need to (take). He said, ‘Hey, you want to fight they ask you? You want to fight June 5?’ I said, ‘Did you ask me that? Just say yes. Well, of course. I want (it).’ And yeah, it was really good man. I’m very happy for that feeling, not just because (I’m) being in the UFC, you know, but being a fighter, you know, and doing what I love that makes me happy. I do what I love to do.”
UFC Fight Night 189 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex. The card streams on ESPN+. Check out Rodrigues’ full pre-fight interview in the video above.