‘They need to make a movie out of this, bro’: Daniel Rodriguez grateful to get UFC Belgrade headline spot after 8 months in Mexican prison - MMA Fighting

Daniel Rodriguez headlines UFC Belgrade this Saturday against hometown fighter Uros Medic, marking his return to competition after a turbulent year.
In April, Rodriguez was released from a Mexican jail following an eight-month imprisonment stemming from a border arrest for marijuana possession, during which prosecutors reportedly sought a multi-year sentence that he feared would end his career.
Rodriguez enters on a three-fight win streak, including a decision victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 318 roughly a year ago, which he called the biggest win of his life before his incarceration.
The 39-year-old described his time behind bars as an emotional roller coaster, saying he stayed motivated by training and keeping faith he would fight again, and credited the experience with teaching him to appreciate life after seeing inmates who would never be released.
Rodriguez, who first entered an MMA gym at age 25, holds a 10-4 UFC record across 14 appearances with notable wins over Mike Perry and Kevin Lee.
Looking ahead, Rodriguez said he hopes to pitch his comeback story to Hollywood, joking that his journey deserves a movie, while Medic aims to spoil the comeback in front of his home crowd.