‘I’m a good wrestler’ – Mason Fowler confident in takedown abilities against Nick Rodriguez
Mason Fowler spoke about his upcoming match against Nick Rodriguez in the main event of the UFC FPI 7.
The main event of the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 7 will see Mason Fowler take on Nick Rodriguez in a pivotal absolute matchup.
Set to go down on Wednesday, May 15, in Las Vegas, that contest will pit the FPI’s two winningest athletes against each other.
A two-time ADCC veteran, Brasileiros, and IBJJF European champion, the 31-year-old Fowler boasts a 5-0 record at the UFC FPI. In his most recent appearance, at UFC FPI 6, he took out top-ranked light heavyweight Pedro Marinho via submission in overtime. That victory further solidified his status as one of the top four active heavyweight competitors in the sport today and served as a showcase for his all-around skill set.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, has also seen plenty of success at the UFC FPI. The B-Team product is a two-time ADCC silver medalist and, like Fowler, is 5-0 in UFC FPI matches. He also competed at the UFC FPI 6 where he earned a thrilling, hard-fought win over current IBJJF no-gi absolute world champion Roberto Jimenez.
Recently, before the match was announced, Fowler spoke to Grappling Insider about how he’d expect fare against Rodriguez.
Check out the full interview, which covers a wide variety of topics, below.
The Caio Terra black belt is quick to give Rodriguez credit where it’s due, admitting that he’s a talented wrestler who will surely be a stiff test. But Fowler is also confident in his own abilities, whether that’s wrestling, grappling on the ground, or simply digging deep late in the match.
Fowler explained:
“Yeah, he’s a good wrestler but I also think I’m a good wrestler. Pedro [Marinho] is one of the best wrestlers in jiu-jitsu that we’ve seen and I was able to take him down. So I’m very confident in my ability wrestling with him. But then, of course, I have been training jiu-jitsu a lot longer than him, so I think that once the match goes to the ground, then I’ll also have some advantages there.
“I’m very confident in the match. Of course, I’m confident technically in the match, but he’s a beast, man. It’s not like it’s gonna be some walk in the park. It’s gonna be one of those matches where you really have to dig deep, and usually in those types of matches, I come out on top.”
How to watch: Mason Fowler vs. Nick Rodriguez takes place at the UFC FPI 7 on Wednesday, May 15, and will air live on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required).
