Christian Rodriguez not surprised at UFC Fight Night 249 upset of prospect Austin Bashi
LAS VEGAS – Christian Rodriguez beat Austin Bashi with a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 249 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Rodriguez, who picked up the night’s biggest upset and handed Bashi the first loss of his career.
Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi
Result: Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Rodriguez (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Bashi (13-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Rodriguez stuffed 15 of Bashi’s 18 takedown attempts.
Rodriguez on the fight’s key moment
Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi, UFC Fight Night 249 (via UFC)
“I wasn’t too worried about him. Everyone’s human. We all have emotions, but we all know we all have to figure out how we deal with these emotions. For someone to say they won’t have any jitters or any emotions, it’s kind of weird? But I wasn’t really too worried about how he would react. I was just worried about fighting my fight and being the best version of myself in there.”
Rodriguez on being an underdog
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Christian Rodriguez punches Austin Bashi in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“I come from Milwaukee. The neighborhood I grew up in, it wasn’t the best. I’ve been the underdog my whole entire life. I’m used to not getting on the A side of things. I’m used to working my ass off for things. I didn’t really care about the odds. I’ve been an underdog my whole entire life, so, and the only day it matters is in the octagon.”
Rodriguez on what he wants next
“I’d like to fight in Mexico City. No names yet. If Mexico City is not possible, then I would love to get on the Miami card. Last time I fought in Miami, I shook up the world and I would love another opportunity to do that again.”
To hear more from Rodriguez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.