March 13, 2025 8: 30 pm ET
Daniel Barez tried to pick a fight with Ronaldo Rodriguez, but instead got unbeaten prospect Andre Lima.
Barez (17-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Lima (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) are set to clash this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 254 (ESPN+), which is set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Spanish fighter thought he was a good matchup for “Lazy Boy” and doesn’t know why Rodriguez ended up drawing Kevin Borjas instead of him for the UFC’s return to Mexico City at the end of the month.
“I wasn’t told anything,” Barez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “I kept sharing stuff on my social media in terms of wanting that fight, but it didn’t happen. I took a shot to see if it would land, but that doesn’t depend solely on me. And like I’ve always said, whoever they put on the contract, I’m signing because I want to be here, and I want to fight against the best, and I just want to fight people who are ahead of me.”
Although Barez didn’t get what he wanted, he is pretty happy with his matchup against Lima. He thinks it