UFC: Marina Rodriguez puts Yan Xiaonan and Joanna Jedrzejczyk on her hit list
- ‘Maybe I need one more fight in the top five to get a title shot,’ says Rodriguez on back of Amanda Ribas KO
- ‘Joanna will be a fight the audience will love to see because it’s two fighters who love to strike,’ adds No 6-ranked strawweight
To follow up a stellar second-round knockout of Amanda Ribas at UFC 257 last month, Brazilian striking sensation Marina Rodriguez now has a short hit list in mind as she pursues her title hopes.
“I have an order of my favourites to fight next,” Rodriguez (13-1-2) told SCMP MMA. “In first place, I really want to fight Yan Xiaonan who’s third in the division. I think that would be a really nice fight.”
China’s Yan Xiaonan (13-1) is also red hot right now, riding a six-fight win streak in the UFC, and a match-up would make for a blistering striking showdown of Muay Thai vs Sanda.
As for 33-year-old Rodriguez’s second choice, she fancies herself another guaranteed firefight.
“In the second spot, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, which is a fight that definitely needs to happen,” she said. “I imagine it won’t be the next fight or the one after that, but that will be a fight the audience will love to see because it’s two fighters who love to strike.