Imanol Rodríguez walked through the back door of a warehouse gym near Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square on a Friday in late January, sporting a camo-patterned backpack full of mixed martial arts gear.
He headed toward the ring inside Sanchez Boxing MMA, his black, curly hair matching his attire — black shirt, black shorts, grey boxing shoes — as he readied for his training session.
With pink wrap on his hands, Rodriguez began warming up by jumping rope. The session would be a lighter one – shadow boxing, hitting pads and then work on the heavy bags.
Imanol Rodriguez trains at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa in late January. (John Burgess – The Press Democrat)
It was his second time training that day — part of a new, ramped-up schedule as Rodriguez prepares to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut Feb. 28 in Mexico City.
Rodríguez, undefeated as an MMA fighter so far at 6-0, will fight Kevin Borjas (10-4) at 125 pounds, the UFC’s flyweight division, on the main card that night.
The late January session at the Donahue Street gym would be one of the 26-year-old fighter’s last in Sonoma County before spending most of February continuing his preparation in Mexico.
“His work ethic is outstanding,” said Rosendo Sanchez, the gym’s owner. “He comes in, he listens, and his attention to detail, in terms of what he wants to work on while outworking everybody, is a quality that a lot of kids don’t have.”
“That was one thing that drew me to him, and he’s just a good kid,” Sanchez continued. “He’s putting Santa Rosa on the map.”
MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez trains for his UFC debut on Feb. 28 in Mexico City Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez, who will be making his UFC debut on the Feb. 28 Mexico City, trains with Rosendo Sanchez Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez, who will be making his UFC debut on Saturday night’s main card in Mexico City, trains with Rosendo Sanchez late last month in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess -The Press Democrat)
Imanol Rodriguez, center, trains Jan. 30 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess – The Press Democrat)
MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez trains for his UFC debut on Feb. 28 in Mexico City, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Imanol Rodriguez trains at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa in late January. (John Burgess – The Press Democrat)
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MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez trains for his UFC debut on Feb. 28 in Mexico City Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Rodríguez first landed on Sanchez’s radar last year, when the fighter was a contender on the UFC’s “Ultimate Fighter” reality TV show. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier was one of the coaches for the up-and-coming fighters featured on the program, and Sanchez — who had been Cormier’s striking coach — was part of the training team.
Sanchez has also worked as the striking coach for another UFC Hall of Famer, Khabib Nurmagomedov, as well as current UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Cormier’s team took Rodríguez with the No. 3 pick on the TV program, and he ended up making the semifinal round in the show’s competition.
After his performance on that show, Rodriguez was invited to take part in another TV program run by the UFC, CEO Dana White’s “Contender Series.” He beat Roque Conceição via TKO in the first round last fall to earn a UFC contract.
“It was quite a lot in a short time, only two months,” Rodríguez said of his TV experience. “But we learned a lot from our coaches and our teammates. The experience in the UFC cage, I believe, is something unique. I have gained a lot of experience from fighting in the past year, so I’ve learned a lot.”
Originally from Ensenada, on the western coast of Baja California in Mexico, Rodriguez — who goes by “Himan” — now splits his time training at both Sanchez’s Santa Rosa gym and Cormier’s wrestling academy in Gilroy.
Rodriguez credits Sanchez as one of the most influential people in his rising career, describing him as a father figure.
“He has become a father to me,” Rodríguez said of the gym owner. “Unfortunately, my father is in heaven, but Rosendo has become that person to tell about my problems and how I feel. He gives me time not only as a coach, but also as part of the family.”
MMA fighter Imanol Rodriguez, who will be making his UFC debut on the Feb. 28 Mexico City, trains with Rosendo Sanchez Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Sanchez Boxing MMA gym in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
When he steps into the Mexico City octagon next weekend, Rodríguez will join a long list of successful Mexican-born fighters competing in the UFC. Raul Rosas Jr., also from Santa Rosa, is a blossoming bantamweight at 135 pounds. Mexico has produced numerous UFC champions over the years, including Brandon Moreno — who is headlining next weekend’s UFC lineup — Yair Rodriguez and Alexa Grasso.
But Rodriguez, a 5-foot-4 heavy hitter, doesn’t want to be known as “the next Brandon Moreno” or “the next Canelo Alvarez.”
“The first Imanol Rodríguez,” Rodríguez said with a smile. “I believe my name is going to resonate a lot. This year is going to be a tough year, but I’m going to be climbing a lot in the division.”
And next weekend, as he begins his journey for a UFC belt, he’ll have the support of not only those he trains with in Santa Rosa, but plenty of well-wishers back home in Mexico.
Which is what makes fighting in Mexico City all that more special.
“It’s a very special moment because I will have my family, my friends and a lot of people who have supported me, who don’t have to go to Las Vegas or other countries,” he said. “I think the fact that I’m at home is very beautiful, and it’s very exciting knowing that all of Mexico is going to be watching me.”
Rodríguez will be competing in the first fight on the main card at the Feb. 28 “UFC Fight Night” at Mexico City’s Arena CDMX. The main event will be Moreno fighting Lone’er Kavanagh at flyweight.
The slate is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and can be streamed live on Paramount Plus.