UFC 300
Athletes
Marina Rodriguez | All Business On The Big Stage
Work Ethic Of Strawweight Contender Pays Off When The Lights Are The Brightest
Just days ago, Marina Rodriguez posted a seemingly benign message on her social media.
“Hey guys, this subscription here on Instagram will be to show some backstage moments of my day, but remember that I do not change my focus of training and fighting for any content here!"
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Known almost as much for her serious, stoic presence as she is for her prowess in the Octagon, it was important for Rodriguez to explain to her fans that nothing had changed. Sure, there might be a few more images and videos floating around out there, but this was far from a Rocky III moment.
Not that anyone would think otherwise, although she’s not as serious as you might think. She often pokes fun at herself for the image she’s successfully created. Michelle Waterson-Gomez—an opponent Rodriguez has defeated twice—hilariously got her to break character during a faceoff. But in general, the 36-year-old likes to save the fun and games for after the fights.
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Say what you will about that approach, but it’s one that has served Rodriguez well. She started training just over a decade ago and went pro just two years later, rattling off ten consecutive wins. The tenth win was a key one: an emphatic TKO victory over Maria Oliveira on the Brazilian edition of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018. She secured a UFC contract with that performance, and never looked back.
Full Fight | Marina Rodriguez vs Amanda Ribas
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Full Fight | Marina Rodriguez vs Amanda Ribas
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In the six years since, she’s established herself as a perpetual threat at 115 pounds. Fighting largely on main cards and main events, she’s notched wins over the likes of Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas and Tecia Torres, to name a few. She narrowly lost a split decision to two-time strawweight champ Carla Esparza and, most notably, holds a win over the fighter competing for the strap this Saturday in the co-main event: Yan Xiaonan.
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It's her performance against those last two names that are the clearest evidence she’s got the goods to take that belt for herself one day. She gets out of bed armed with that knowledge, and it’s the relentless drive towards that goal that lends to what might be perceived as a serious persona.
“We’ve been expecting this for a long time,” she tells UFC.com. “I have a win over Yan, I won the fight by decision. So being on the same card is extra motivation to show my work inside the cage, to win the fight and to fight one of these Chinese girls in the future.”
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To get to that precipice, she’ll need to get past another former champ: Jéssica Andrade. One of the most dangerous veterans on the roster, “Bate Estaca” brings a thrilling résumé of finishes and performance bonuses to the contest.
“Jéssica is very experienced,” she agrees, “She has had many fights in the promotion, and we have studied each fight so we can see her growth and every technical detail. So it makes it more interesting to try to unravel the mystery of the fight.”
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There might be less mystery with Andrade than other opponents, due in part to Rodriguez’s admitted scholarly eye for “every technical detail,” but also because they have trained together in years past and today share a manager.
“We know a lot about each other, because of the manager. The negotiation (to fight) happened naturally, because the division is mixed up, and I wanted a fight that would get me closer—if I win—to a title shot. And Jéssica was the perfect one among the Top 5.”
Rise Of Marina Rodriguez
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Rise Of Marina Rodriguez
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The fact that both fighters have achieved their positions in the division on the strength of their respective striking games is the closest thing to a guarantee that audiences Saturday will witness fireworks.
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Rodriguez is ready to steal the show with her Brazilian compatriot. It will be a tall order considering they are the third prelim fight on an inarguably stacked UFC 300 card featuring 13 bouts, but with her trademark poker face, she conveys her certainty.
“I've done this once. In Abu Dhabi (at UFC 257), I took the spotlight away from (Conor) McGregor, and I got the bonus. I think that great cards make me fight better and show my potential, and this willingness to win can result in a bonus.”
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
