Daniel Rodriguez displayed the power that caught people's attention in the first place during his bout at UFC Des Moines, pulling off a highlight finish of Santiago Ponzinibbio.
Rodriguez rocked Ponzinibbio during an opening round where both men seemed to have their moments, and both flashing their power. The back-and-forth continued into the second round, where Ponzinibbio appeared to picked up momentum. He was landing better and secured a late takedown.
In the third, however, Rodriguez connected on a solid left that dropped Ponzinibbio, bringing the fight to an end almost right away. Ponzinibbio tried to protest the stoppage, but he seemed out on his feet.
Daniel Rodriguez Delivers KO In Entertaining Brawl With Santiago Ponzinibbio At UFC Des Moines
Rodriguez has now scored back-to-back wins after dropping three straight. He came into this fight off a split-decision win over Alex Morono in October. It's his first finish since a first-round TKO of Preston Parsons in July 2021.
Ponzinibbio has now lost three of his last four. He came into this fight off a win over Carlston Harris in January.