UFC: Marina Rodriguez puts hand up for title shot after punishing ‘Karate Hottie’ Michelle Waterson
- Brazilian calls for top three match-up against Yan Xiaonan or Joanna Jedrzejczyk after unanimous decision win at UFC Vegas 26
- ‘A lot of girls out there say they want to fight for the belt … if they need me for it I’m here, I’ll do it,’ says Rodriguez
Marina Rodrigurez has put her hand up for a strawweight title shot after punishing Michelle Waterson over most of five rounds in Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 26 main event.
The Brazilian (14-1-2) took the flyweight fight on just 11 days’ notice but secured a unanimous decision to make it back-to-back impressive wins after finishing Amanda Ribas in January.
Rodriguez’s only loss in the UFC – and her whole career – was a split decision against former champ Carla Esparza last July. But the 34-year-old is targeting matchups against the two women directly above the American in the strawweight rankings – China’s Yan Xiaonan, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland.
“I would like to fight a couple more times this year, hopefully a top three opponent next time around,” she said in a post-fight media scrum at the UFC Apex facility.
“Yan [Xiaonan] is fighting Esparza now, if she wins that could be a very good fight if she’s available. Esparza is someone I fought already quite recently, so I’m not all too excited to do that. Maybe if one of us gets a belt we can fight for it.
“Joanna has always been a fight I’m looking for and I think the fans too. So if she’s back and considering fighting again I’d be more than willing to fight her.”