This week's BKFC main event has some redemption related underpinnings as Esteban Rodriguez aims to take out Zac Cavender after Cavender knocked out a long time teammate of Rodriguez's right in front of him.
Esteban Rodriguez takes on Zac Cavender at BKFC Fight Night: Michigan on November 1st. Rodriguez appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker to discuss Cavender stopping training partner and friend Erick Lozano. Zac Cavender secured a brutal first round finish over Lozano at BKFC 74 and when asked if there was any redemptive components associated with getting one back for his teammate/friend, Rodriguez said [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],
100%, man. Listen, I was in that corner when that happened. I was cornering [Erick] Lozano. I went to go help him out with that. I was so helpless in that corner right there."
"It was like; it's new to me. You know what I mean, being in somebody's corner. So it was just a whole different experience. But to see your friend get taken out like that and like me not being able to do anything about it."
"I was just like, "Oh, man." And in a way, I kind of manifested it because then it's like, "Oh, let me get him, man." I couldn't get, you know, coming from where we come from, man."
"It's like, you got to challenge him right there. Oh, you took him out? Now, it's my turn. How dare you. Like, but it's just; now like being able to see that. I talked to him in the back. You know what I mean?"
"Cuz I told him, "You coming for that championship in the 205 division, man, that's my throne right there." I was like, "You know, you're going to have to go through me if you're going to have to handle those men.""
"So, we had a little talk in the back and he's like, "Well, yeah. we've seen you on the radar and I definitely know we would put on a hell of a hell of a show, man.""
"Because he's been able to put pressure, but he's never felt a pressure fighter like me before. You know what I mean? So, it's like when I'm going to be able to get; like since this point forward, I've been able to see that, you know, all the competition is coming in the 205 division."
"Him getting a knockout like that, you know, especially one of my friends and in front of me. Yeah, I'm like, I got to get [that] back, man."
"I got to do something about this. I just can't let that happen, man. And it's like it's just not; I don't know. Regardless of what it is like just there's something in me that just can't let that slide.
BKFC throws him to the wolves but Esteban Rodriguez is "still standing, baby"
When playfully mentioning how this seems like one of those BKFC bouts where you have to make sure you got your drink and your snacks lined up. This because Cavender has back-to-back first round knockouts and Rodriguez has a 3 second KO win in his last outing.
Responding to that comment referencing this being a 'don't blink or you'll miss it' kind of outings, Rodriguez stated [via 
Back to back to back, bro. I'm telling you, man. These guys, all they say that there's these fighters that are undefeated and all that. I've been thrown to the wolves every single time. They've been trying to take me out since the beginning, man, and I'm still standing, baby."
"And I'm still going to be standing strong. Once they send their best, man, when they send their best, that's when they're going to see me going pulling out the worst. Where it's just going to be nitty gritty and just taking them out back to back to back to back, baby.