UFC Fight Night 194 free fight: Marina Rodriguez outboxes Michelle Waterson in five-round battle

Marina Rodriguez emerged as a strawweight contender in her first UFC main event.

Rodriguez faced former Invicta FC champion Michelle Waterson in a flyweight bout, which headlined UFC on ESPN 24 in May.

Fresh off her upset knockout win over Amanda Ribas, Rodriguez showed off her power early by landing a few solid shots to the chin of Waterson. “The Karate Hottie” used an array of kicks ranging from low to side kicks to keep Rodriguez at bay, but the power difference was evident in the first two rounds.

Rodriguez ramped up the aggression in Round 3, backing Waterson against the cage with a barrage of punches. Waterson fired back with some hard leg kicks, but she was bloodied and battered by the end of the round. However, Waterson was able to rally in Round 4, landing an early takedown and maintaining top control for the rest of the round.

The final frame saw both women stand and trade, with Waterson continuing her kick-heavy approach and landing a shot to the body which got Rodriguez’s attention. But the Brazilian continued to show off her crisp boxing, tagging Waterson with various right hands and outpointing her for the unanimous decision win.

Rodriguez (14-1-2 MMA, 4-1-2 UFC) returns to action Saturday when she takes on Mackenzie Dern (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 194, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before she faces Dern, relive Rodriguez’s win over Waterson in the video above.