Athletes
Marina Rodriguez | It's Time To Dominate
Brazilian Strawweight Is Looking To Regain Some Momentum Heading Towards 2025, And Plans On Putting Her Experience To Good Use Against A Rising Prospect At UFC 307
Marina Rodriguez is ready to make the walk to the Octagon for her 14th UFC fight and says she's planning to put her top-level experience to good use against a young prospect looking to break into the strawweight Top 10.
Thirty-seven-year-old Rodriguez will take on 22-year-old Iasmin Lucindo, who is riding a three-fight win streak, with the pair set to face off at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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While her opponent is building some impressive momentum in the UFC's 115-pound division, Rodriguez knows it's time to start building some of her own.
Rodriguez's early UFC career saw her produce a string of attention-grabbing performances as she pushed former champion Carla Esparza to the limit in a split-decision loss, but bounced back with victories over Amanda Ribas, Michelle Waterson-Gomez (twice), Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan. But, more recently, the Brazilian's form has taken a hit, with losses to Amanda Lemos, Virna Jandiroba and Jessica Andrade.
It means Rodriguez heads to the Delta Center this weekend knowing she needs to make a statement against the youngest female fighter on the UFC roster.
"(She's) The youngest? I didn't know that!" she admitted.
"As for her style, it's clear she wants to make an impact and show her skills. But I see this fight as a test of conscientious determination.
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"I believe my experience will prevail. I'll impose my gameplan and aggressiveness more and more and force her to experience every aspect of the fight, which is something she hasn't yet faced in her UFC fights."
To make sure she covered all her bases ahead of fight night, Rodriguez and her team arrived in Utah early, mindful of the altitude in Salt Lake City and how fighters have fallen foul of the thinner atmosphere in past fights. But, as she explained, she hasn't felt any negative effects since she's been in town.
"We arrived last Thursday. We came earlier to get used to the environment," she explained.
"I didn't feel anything different. I feel the same. I'm training well every day, so everything is going smoothly. I didn't feel anything, I tried to feel what everyone was talking about, but I trained hard every day and I didn't feel it."
Rodriguez currently sits in sixth place in the UFC's official strawweight rankings. But, given her recent form, it came as no shock when she was asked to face a fighter much lower in the rankings than herself, in the form of 14th-ranked Lucindo.
"Honestly, I'm used to it," she smiled.
"Since the beginning, I've been climbing the rankings, but I've always faced girls ranked behind me. Always!
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"We have to accept the fights and make it happen. So, I'm confident going into this one, ready to win on Saturday and keep moving up.
"The challenge (against Lucindo) is really her drive. She's young and eager to prove herself in the UFC. I believe that's the main challenge.
"I want to show who Marina Rodriguez truly is inside the Octagon. I've faced many challenges in the UFC, not outside, but inside the Octagon, so I'm confident I'll be ready for any situation in this fight."
Rodriguez knows her first task is to get the win and defend her ranking. But she's looking to accomplish more than just victory on fight night. She wants her performance to announce her return to form and put her on track to take on the division's Top Five.
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"This Saturday, I plan to have an excellent performance and win in a dominant fashion," she stated.
"That will give me leverage in the UFC once again. Then, I'll definitely push to fight a higher-ranked opponent and continue my path toward the belt."
UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr., took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!