UFC welterweight Daniel Rodriguez detailed his experience living in a Mexican prison.
Rodriguez recently revealed that he had spent eight months in a jail in Tijuana shortly after his July 2025 win over Kevin Holland, occurring to disclose that he was pulled over by Mexican Border Patrol in possession of lower than an oz of marijuana. After attempting to pay his way out of the situation, Rodriguez and his associate within the vehicle were charged with drug smuggling.
“This was my first time in a Mexican jail,” he told Ariel Helwani of his sentence. “I can let you know one thing obviously, it is the worst. It’s just the worst possible situation. Fortunately, I used to be capable of make the most effective of it. I used to be capable of pull a few strings and get a little bit little bit of work out equipment there, and I used to be capable of work out and check out to remain secure.”
Rodriguez said they were only allowed out twice per week, and he would spent essentially the most of that point running laps. He said that the worst part was the food, and he feels unhealthy and malnourished coming out of it, especially in comparison to his fighting condition immediately after the Holland fight.
“I believe that was the hardest part, the nutrition there, I’m coming off that big fight and my body was like healthy, in the most effective shape ever. After which to be thrown, locked in a jail cell and just put in a single spot and just given the bare minimum food to eat was terrible, man.”
Daniel Rodriguez said he had friends in high places
Rodriguez said he shared a cell with two people in high places, and so they looked out for him. He reasoned that everyone loves a fighter and said he was put in probably the greatest situations he might have been in.
“My first 12 days I used to be in a six man cell with like 25 people in there. Dudes sleeping on the ground, two men per bunk, and I could not even sleep,” he recalled. “It was just disgusting in there. It’s horrible. Fortunately word got around that I used to be in there and I got shot as much as the VIP section.”
“What happened was I went to court at some point, my first court date, and one among the guards recognized me and began asking me for pictures. So all of the guards are right there taking pictures. A number of the inmates saw that,” Rodriguez reasoned. He went on to say, “Behind my mind, I had a way like, I believe this guy’s using me as protection. I’m form of like his bodyguard or something like that. But I just ran with it.”
When asked what form of privileges he was given, Rodriguez said he didn’t need to “burn the spot” for people still within the prison. He said those little things go a good distance and he was fortunate to have them, even though it wasn’t low cost.