(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Mackenzie Dern after UFC Fight Night 194 loss?)
Marina Rodriguez continued to build momentum as a true strawweight title contender Saturday when she defeated Mackenzie Dern in the UFC Fight Night 194 main event.
In a fight in which she was the betting underdog, Rodriguez (16-1-2 MMA, 5-1-2 UFC) turned in a mostly one-sided performance against grappling whiz Dern (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) to earn a unanimous decision at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Not only did Rodriguez show her skills on the feet, but she survived some scary moments with Dern on the ground. She now has three consecutive wins and is line for a huge opportunity at 115 pounds.
The question, however, is what will that opportunity look like? Rodriguez already deferred the next title shot to Carla Esparza, and the strawweight title rematch between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili is just around the corner at UFC 268 on Nov. 6.
Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Rodriguez’s future after UFC Fight Night 194.
