Daniel Rodriguez Protected By Cartel While In Mexican Jail

UFC fighter Daniel Rodriguez revealed he had protection from drug cartels while in a Mexican jail.

He was arrested in 2025 for trying to bring 27 grams of marijuana into the country. Although Rodriguez has been in prison before, he described Mexican prisons as a different monster.

“Surrounded by the lowest of the low. You can imagine jail, then you can imagine jail in Mexico.” Rodriguez said. 

According to human rights groups, many Mexican prisons deal with overcrowding, understaffing and unhygienic conditions. This can lead to “self-rule” policies in prisons. This is when inmates become the law of the prison, leading to violence and corruption. 

Rodriguez spent eight months in prison. He said that support from the drug cartels helped keep him safe.

“Fortunately for me, word kind of got around who I was, and I had people in high places take care of me and stuff. I guess you can say for the most part, I was put in probably the best living situation.” Rodriguez said. 

Less than a week after his release, Rodriguez received an offer for a comeback fight. He told Babcock he plans to fight Leon Edwards during International Fight Week.

International Fight Week is scheduled for July 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

UFC 329 is scheduled for July 11. The fights are not currently scheduled. Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is expected to make his UFC debut.

Although Rodriguez’s return will be a major storyline, there’s a chance he could get overshadowed. It’s currently rumored that Conor McGregor is planning to return during International Fight Week. 

McGregor’s last fight was in 2021, when Dustin Poirier broke his leg. McGregor announced his return to UFC on social media. Although he hasn’t been scheduled for an event yet, International Fight Week could be a high-profile return for McGregor.