“Carla was the one that should have been getting the title fight,” Marina Rodriguez is ready to let Esparza get the next title shot after UFC Vegas 39 win
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Marina Rodriguez and Carla Esparza
The number 6th ranked UFC women’s strawweight fighter, Marina Rodriguez secured a phenomenal win against Mackenzie Dern in the main event of UFC Vegas 39. Rodriguez survived Dern’s elite grappling game and showed her striking is superior to her grappling.
Rodriguez is now on a three-fight win streak but she is still far from the title shot. The UFC women’s strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas is booked to face Zhang Weili in a rematch at UFC 269 but Marina Rodriguez believes former women’s strawweight champion, Carla Esparza should be getting the title shot before Weili.
In the UFC Vegas 39 post-fight press conference, Rodriguez says, “That’s the thing, I really think that Carla was the one that should have been getting the title fight now and not [Zhang Weili], But if the UFC does offer me a title fight ahead of her, who am I to say no to it?”
“But I would much prefer to let her go fight for a title, maybe get that belt, and then we can do the rematch for the belt. I don’t have all the time in the world so she’s got to get moving.”
Marina Rodriguez intends to stay active in the division
Marina Rodriguez knows very well that after UFC 268’s title fight, the winner will take at least six months to fight again, which is why she is ready to fight Yan Xiaonan as well because she wants the division to keep moving.
Rodriguez added, “The problem is she’s holding a very important spot in the rankings and there’s so many girls there fighting twice a year, three times a year, trying to get to that and that spot is locked. If it’s not her, [Yan Xioanan] would be a good fight, she’s ahead anyways so that’s how I have to keep moving.”
“Just keep moving forward and if the title fight happens and they want to defend quickly, give it to Carla after that. Maybe I can fight again, cool. If not, just give me someone else and we’ll keep on moving.”
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Shivansh Thakur
(1173 Articles Published)