Rodriguez targets Leon Edwards after UFC Belgrade, claims 'Rocky' dodged International Fight Week bout

Daniel Rodriguez has gone public with his pursuit of Leon Edwards, claiming he requested the fight for UFC 329’s International Fight Week card before being matched with Uros Medic at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1.

Rodriguez (20-5) faces Medic (13-3) in a welterweight bout in Belgrade, but “D-Rod” made clear that Edwards was his first choice. Speaking to Home of Fight, Rodriguez said Edwards’ team steered away from the matchup, though he stopped short of calling it an outright refusal.

“We wanted the fight; we asked for the fight,” Rodriguez said. “I guess on his end, they were leaning towards another direction. That would’ve been crazy to have fought on the International Fight Week card. But I got a better opportunity. Another tough matchup as well. We’ll see; we’ll definitely be calling him out after.”

Rodriguez arrives at UFC Belgrade on a three-fight winning streak, though his last bout was in July 2025. He spent eight months in a jail in Tijuana, Mexico after being arrested for crossing the border with marijuana, and was released this past April. The layoff makes his return all the more significant as he looks to re-establish himself in the welterweight division.

Edwards (22-6), meanwhile, is in a difficult stretch of his own. The former UFC welterweight champion has lost three consecutive fights, beginning with his title defeat to Belal Muhammad in 2024. His most recent outing ended in a brutal stoppage loss to Carlos Prates last November, leaving his path back to contention unclear.

With both men needing a statement win, a future matchup carries genuine stakes. Rodriguez has made his intentions plain: beat Medic in Belgrade, then turn up the pressure on Edwards once more.