It’s not very often that an undefeated fighter heads into a main card clash with a surging former champion while remaining under the radar, but Rodriguez’ UFC run has been anything but conventional.
The talented Brazilian is 2-0-2 through her first four appearances inside the Octagon, with victories over Jessica Aguilar and Tecia Torres sandwiched between draws in bouts with Randa Markos and Cynthia Calvillo, who came in four pounds over the strawweight limit and has subsequently established herself as a contender at flyweight. Overall, Rodriguez, who earned her UFC contract with a victory on the Contender Series in the summer of 2018 and comes from a Muay Thai background, is 12-0-2 in her mixed martial arts career heading into this weekend’s bout with Carla Esparza.
Gauging where newcomers fit in when they’ve had limited experience or faced non-UFC level competition on the regional circuit is difficult and that was the case with Rodriguez, who pushed her record to 10-0 with her Contender Series win, but had yet to be tested against top flight foes. She’s subsequently answered those questions by going unbeaten in four assignments against quality strawweight veterans, and she can take another big step forward with a victory on Saturday.
The inaugural UFC strawweight champion, Esparza has rebounded from a two-fight skid in 2018 to produce three straight victories, most recently edging out Michelle Waterson at UFC 249 in Jacksonville, Florida. “The Cookie Monster” is a quality grappler with a wealth of experience and constantly improving striking, and her losses have primarily come against elite competition.
While Rodriguez has already cemented her standing as a Top 15 talent in the 115-pound weight class, this is her chance to earn a spot on the short list of contenders as 2020 continues to roll on.
