UFC welterweight contender Daniel Rodriguez finally returned to social media last week, declaring he was free following an eight-month stint in a Mexican prison.
Now, we know why Rodriguez served time in the country.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Rodriguez explained that he was coming back to the United States following a trip to Mexico to celebrate his win over Kevin Holland when border patrol stopped him.
“I went on vacation and forgot I had a little bag of weed with me,” Rodriguez said (thanks to MMA Junkie for the quotes). “It was under an ounce. I got pulled over at the line and got checked.”
Daniel Rodriguez: Mexican police ‘don’t play no games’
Rodriguez thought he would get off with just a warning or a quick overnight stay. That, though, was not the case.
“They don’t play no games,” he said. “The laws over there in Mexico are way different. What I thought was going to be probably a little weekend or overnight turned into eight months right in the prime of my career.”
The fighter remarked that he “made an honest mistake and ended up paying time for it.” Rodriguez added that the prison stay was “the worst possible situation,” claiming he was “a little bit malnourished” from the food.
Rodriguez, a 39-year-old from California, has reeled off three consecutive wins. His last fight was in July 2025 at UFC 318 when he topped Holland, following up victories over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Alex Morono.
Since joining the UFC in 2020, he is 10-4, giving him a 20-5 record overall.
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