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UFC Vegas 31 video: Daniel Rodriguez blasts Preston Parsons in the eye with punch, earns first-round finish

UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez v Parsons
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Daniel Rodriguez gave Preston Parsons a rude welcome at UFC Vegas 31 as he sent the newcomer packing with a first-round TKO in the feature prelim.

The finish came after Rodriguez connected with a perfectly timed punch that blasted Parsons directly in the eye, which left him wincing in pain. Rodriguez wasted no time following up with several more shots and despite his best efforts to survive, Parsons eventually dropped to the mat where the fight was stopped.

The end came at 3:47 in the first round.

“It was exactly what I expected,” Rodriguez said about his performance. “I expected him to come out blazing. He only had so much time to prepare for me so I knew what to expect. I figured it was my time to attack. I’ve been hit in the eyeball once before and it’s not nice.”

While Parsons looked comfortable on his feet during the early portion of the fight, Rodriguez attacked with confidence whenever he stepped into the exchanges. Always known for throwing with power, Rodriguez was also accurate when he cracked Parsons with the right hand in the eye that precipitated the end of the fight.

Once he recognized that Parsons was compromised, Rodriguez went for the kill but never got wild with his punches as he waited for the proper opening to throw his shots while also being careful not to catch something crazy in return.

Rodriguez continued to chip away at Parsons until the UFC rooking finally wilted and fell down to the canvas. With Parsons just eating shots on the ground, the referee had no choice but to stop the contest with Rodriguez earning the TKO victory.

Now 5-1 in the UFC with two wins in a row overall, Rodriguez continues to prove he’s a tough out for anybody in the welterweight division.

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