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Christian Rodriguez’s late coach, Duke Roufus, taught him the move that helped him finish Hyder Amil.
Rodriguez (13-4) took on Amil (11-3) in a featherweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. “CeeRod” dropped Amil with a flush shin-to-chin head kick in the opening round. While Amil miraculously remained conscious, Rodriguez immediately choked him out cold with a guillotine.
Rodriguez revealed that the head kick was always a staple move while training under his late coach.
“My coach who passed away in October, his name was Duke Roufus, he was a kickboxing legend,” Rodriguez said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “He was known for head kicks… When people kind of start defending like a boxer, the head kick will always be there. And it worked out perfectly. It’s something that he passed on to me, and I still have that knowledge. So, that’s something we capitalized on.”
Rodriguez’s win over Amil saw him rebound from back-to-back losses, which was also the only time he lost two fights in a row in his career. After Roufus’ demise this past October, Rodriguez moved to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to train under the tutelage of Eric Nicksick. Rodriguez’s win on Saturday also marked his return to action after a 10-month hiatus. Rodriguez believes the time off changed him as a person while renewing his love for the sport.
“I want to stay active,” Rodriguez said. “I missed the sport so much; it’s been a long 10 months. But I feel like the time away definitely made me into a different person. It’s definitely brought the love for the sport again for me.”
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Rodriguez (13-4) took on Amil (11-3) in a featherweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. “CeeRod” dropped Amil with a flush shin-to-chin head kick in the opening round. While Amil miraculously remained conscious, Rodriguez immediately choked him out cold with a guillotine.
Rodriguez revealed that the head kick was always a staple move while training under his late coach.
“My coach who passed away in October, his name was Duke Roufus, he was a kickboxing legend,” Rodriguez said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “He was known for head kicks… When people kind of start defending like a boxer, the head kick will always be there. And it worked out perfectly. It’s something that he passed on to me, and I still have that knowledge. So, that’s something we capitalized on.”
Feeling Rejuventated
Rodriguez’s win over Amil saw him rebound from back-to-back losses, which was also the only time he lost two fights in a row in his career. After Roufus’ demise this past October, Rodriguez moved to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to train under the tutelage of Eric Nicksick. Rodriguez’s win on Saturday also marked his return to action after a 10-month hiatus. Rodriguez believes the time off changed him as a person while renewing his love for the sport.
“I want to stay active,” Rodriguez said. “I missed the sport so much; it’s been a long 10 months. But I feel like the time away definitely made me into a different person. It’s definitely brought the love for the sport again for me.”
"I feel like the time away definitely made me into a different person."
Competing for the first time in 10 months, Christian Rodriguez gets back in the win column with a first-round finish at #UFCVegas119
Main Card Resultshttps://t.co/LzpMSWtPYxpic.twitter.com/34A4E2Ejl4— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 21, 2026
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