Marina Alcalde Rodriguez (born April 29, 1987) is a Brazilian

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

(MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings and as of October 25, 2021, she is #8 in UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Background

Rodriguez was born in

Bagé Bagé () is a city located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 2020, its population was 121,335 in a total area of 4,096 km2. It was the seventeenth largest city in the state according to the 2011 census. The city was founded in 18 ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

to Luis and Diva Rodriguez. She has two brothers, Gabriel and Roberto, of whom the latter is a two-time

Parapan American Games The Parapan American Games is an international multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities held every four years after every Pan American Games. The first Games were held in 1999 in Mexico City, Mexico. The 2003 Parapan American Ga ...

gold medalist in swimming. In her youth, Rodriguez played football, volley, basketball, and handball. Growing tired of the lack of physical exercise in her job as a

graphic designer A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for publishe ...

, she started looking for a way to lose some gained weight. Then, she found her now coach, Marcio Malko. Eventually, she joined a

muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

class in 2013 and soon thereafter started taking amateur bouts.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Rodriguez started her professional MMA career in 2015 and fought primarily in Brazil and amassed a record of 9–0 before competing in Dana White's Contender Series Brazil .

Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series

Rodriguez appeared in

Dana White's Contender Series Dana White's Contender Series, formerly named Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, is an American mixed martial arts promotion. In May 2017, the UFC announced White would hold the competition weekly on UFC Fight Pass (It has since been move ...

(DWCS) Dana White's Contender Series Brazil 2 web-series program on August 11, 2018, facing Maria de Oliveira Neta. She won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rodriguez made her UFC debut on September 22, 2018 against Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders. The back and forth contest was ultimately ruled a majority draw. Her next fight came on UFC on March 30, 2019 at UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje against

Jessica Aguilar Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican- American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previousl ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Rodriguez faced Tecia Torres on August 10, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 14. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Rodriguez faced

Cynthia Calvillo Cynthia Tafoya Calvillo ( , born July 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight and flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of August 15, 2022, she is #14 in the UFC women's flyweight ra ...

, replacing injured

Cláudia Gadelha Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (; born December 7, 1988), is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fightin ...

, on December 7, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN 7 ''UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik'' (also known as '' UFC on ESPN 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 7, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., United States. ...

. At the weigh-ins, Calvillo weighed in at 120.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds over the strawweight non-title fight limit of 116. The bout against Rodriguez will be held at a catchweight. Calvillo was fined 30% her purse, which went to her opponent Rodriguez. After three rounds of fighting, the bout ended with a majority draw. Rodriguez was expected to face

Carla Esparza Carla Kristen Esparza (born October 10, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champi ...

on July 15, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 172. However the bout was cancelled after one of Rodriguez's

cornermen In combat sports, a cornerman, or second, is a coach or trainer assisting a fighter during a bout. The cornerman is forbidden to instruct and must remain outside the combat area during the round. In the break, they are permitted to enter the ri ...

tested positive for COVID-19. The pair eventually fought at UFC on ESPN 14 on July 26, 2020. Rodriguez lost the fight via split decision. Rodriguez faced

Amanda Ribas Amanda Ribas (born August 26, 1993) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 15, 2022, she is #9 in the UFC women's strawweight ...

, replacing

Michelle Waterson Michelle Eileen Waterson (born January 6, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and model who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the ...

, on January 24, 2021 at

UFC 257 ''UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 24, 2021 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background Starting with ...

. Rodriguez won the fight via technical knockout in round two. This win earned her the ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award. As the first fight of her new, multi-fight contract Rodriguez faced

in a flyweight bout on May 8, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 24. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Rodriguez faced

Mackenzie Dern Mackenzie Lynne Dern Santos (born March 24, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She is a former world No. 1 ranked IBJJF competitor, currently ranked 6th among the female divisions. She is ...

on October 9, 2021 on

UFC Fight Night 194 ''UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 194'', ''UFC Vegas 39'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 52'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 9, 2021 at the UFC ...

. She won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned her the '' Fight of the Night ''award. Rodriguez faced Yan Xiaonan on March 5, 2022 at

UFC 272 ''UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 5, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United State ...

. She won the fight via split decision. Rodriguez was expected to face

Amanda Lemos Amanda Oliveira de Lemos (born May 22, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of November 8, 2022, she is #3 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings, and as o ...

UFC 280 ''UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 22, 2022, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background A UFC Lightweight Champion ...

, but the bout was postponed to

UFC Fight Night 214 ''UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 214, UFC on ESPN+ 72'' and ''UFC Vegas 64'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 5, 2022 at the UFC Ap ...

for unknown reasons. She lost the fight via technical knockout in the third round.

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

(One time) ** Fight of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 16–2–2 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:54 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1–2 , Yan Xiaonan , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1–2 ,

, TKO (elbow and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:54 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–1–2 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Draw , align=center, ,

, Draw (majority) , UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0–1 , Tecia Torres , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern ...

, Uruguay , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 10–0–1 , Randa Markos , Draw (majority) , UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Maria de Oliveira Neta , TKO (punches) , Dana White's Contender Series Brazil 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:03 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Natalia Cristina da Silva , Decision (unanimous) , Thunder Fight 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Amanda Torres Sardinha , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto Brazil 79 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Samara Santos Cunha , Decision (unanimous) , Fight 2 Night 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Foz do Iguaçu Foz do Iguaçu (''Iguazu River Mouth'') () is the Brazilian city on the border of Iguaçu Falls. The city is the 7th largest in the state of Paraná. The city's population is approximately 258,000. It is approximately 650 km (400 mi) wes ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Paula Vieira da Silva , TKO (punches) , Curitiba Top Fight 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:50 ,

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area c ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Vanessa Guimaraes , Submission (triangle choke) , Aspera FC 41 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:47 , São José, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Márcia Oliveira , TKO (punches) , Floripa Fight Championship: The Big Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:42 , Florianópolis, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Caroline Silva , TKO (knee and punches) , Aspera FC 33 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:47 , São José, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Caroline Silva , Decision (unanimous) , Aspera FC 24 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , São José, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Silvania Monteiro , TKO (retirement) , São José Super Fight 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 , São José, Brazil , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Marina 1987 births Living people People from Bagé Strawweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian female mixed martial artists Brazilian Muay Thai practitioners Female Muay Thai practitioners Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters Sportspeople from Rio Grande do Sul