Marina Rodriguez further validated herself as a strawweight contender to watch with a main event win over Mackenzie Dern on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 194.
Rodriguez (16-1-2 MMA, 5-1-2 UFC) improved to 2-0 in UFC headliners when she scored a unanimous decision victory over Dern (11-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the matchup of elite 115-pound fighters, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Rodriguez’s victory over Dern at UFC Fight Night 194.
MMA Junkie
It's time! @MackenzieDern and Marina Rodriguez (@wmmarz) are moments away from the #UFCVegas39 strawweight main event.
Play-by-play: https://t.co/Nzc0P5CoBm pic.twitter.com/pKLPtWHwjx
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) October 9, 2021
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight Closing Betting Odds via @CircaSports
Marina Rodriguez +175
Mackenzie Dern -200#UFCVegas39 💰 | @UFC | @ESPNPlus | #espnplus— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) October 9, 2021
UFC
Brazil's own makes her walk 🇧🇷
[ @WMMARZ | #UFCVegas39 ] pic.twitter.com/dr0vVGqQgy
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
UFC
Ready to get her 5️⃣th-straight win.
[ @MackenzieDern | #UFCVegas39 ] pic.twitter.com/i17QzwBgse
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
UFC
The battle of top strawweights happens NOW 👊
[ #UFCVegas39 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Gmn9tokr96
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
Alexander Wendling
Mackenzie looks in incredible shape. Her strength training coach has that programming on POINT #UFCVegas39 #jiujitsu #nogiworlds
— Alexandra🎃👻 (@AlexWendlingMMA) October 9, 2021
Bloody Elbow
Hard knee tot he body from Rodriguez. Dern vineing a leg and looking for a takedown against the cage, Hard elbow to the body from Rodriguez. #UFCVegas39
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) October 9, 2021
Mike Jackson
Jump guard! #UFCVegas39
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) October 9, 2021
Caposa
Rodriguez making it look easy in the clinch.. could be a big problem for Dern.
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) October 9, 2021
Sean Sheehan
Nothing impactful landed in round 1. Rodriguez seems to be landing a little more and probably takes it 10-9 #UFCVegas39
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) October 9, 2021
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight Live In-Game Wagering Odds After RD1
Marina Rodriguez -130
Mackenzie Dern +100#UFCVegas39 💰 | @UFC | @ESPNPlus | @CircaSports— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) October 9, 2021
Dan Tom
At least Rodriguez proved my clinch reads right so far as she earns the first round, but the crazy thing is that Dern can still win with just one ground exchange if she gets it. #UFCVegas39
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 9, 2021
Jimi Manuwa
Oofff this girl ain’t having none of it #UFCVegas39
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) October 9, 2021
Michael Carroll
R2 for Dern: failed throw, winds up on bottom, reverses. Hey, whatever gets you there. #UFCVegas39
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) October 9, 2021
MMA Mania
Terrifying words: "Mackenzie Dern, knee on belly"
— MMA mania (@mmamania) October 9, 2021
Mike Jackson
We're about to see some slick jiu-jitsu here in a sec… #UFCVegas39
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) October 9, 2021
Luke Thomas
Not exactly what Maia would do to get takedowns, but the principle is the same: cause a reaction from a takedown attempt (even if it fails), then use the scramble for a leg entanglement to force jiu-jitsu on the fight.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) October 9, 2021
Shaheen Al-Shatti
Good lord. Mackenzie Dern is terrifying down here. #UFCVegas39
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) October 9, 2021
Caposa
I feel like Marina has done great to survive all this
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) October 9, 2021
Danny Segura
Mackenzie Dern's is complete nightmare on the ground. Unreal. #UFCVegas39
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) October 9, 2021
Sean Sheehan
19-19. Great second round for Dern. #UFCVegas39
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) October 9, 2021
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight Live In-Game Wagering Odds After RD2
Marina Rodriguez +230
Mackenzie Dern -300#UFCVegas39 💰 | @UFC | @ESPNPlus | @CircaSports— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) October 9, 2021
Aljamain Sterling
That arm was about to go home with Dern! Run grappling exchanges and big GnP! 1-1 going into the 3rd for me. #UFCVegas39
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) October 9, 2021
John Gooden
Good Lord Dern is magic on the ground. That transition to the back mount was insane #UFCVegas39
— John Gooden (@JohnGoodenUK) October 9, 2021
Brett Okamoto
Man. This is a fascinating fight.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 9, 2021
Alan Jouban
Those transitions! Leg attack to sweep to crucifix to mount. High level! #UFCVegas39
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) October 9, 2021
Caposa
Dern should honestly think about clinching and pulling guard
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) October 9, 2021
Raquel Pennington
This main event between these ladies has me on the edge of my seat 😬😬 @ufc
— Raquel Pennington (@RockyPMMA) October 9, 2021
Belal Muhammad
I gotta see marina vs Joanna at some point
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) October 9, 2021
UFC
Rodriguez finding her range here in the third 👊
[ #UFCVegas39 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/NiLTEhW33B
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
Scott Fontana
Telling Dern she needs the next two rounds is great coaching. It seems so basic, but you don't always get this even at the UFC level. #UFCVegas39
— Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) October 9, 2021
Mike Rhodes
Dern striking offense and defense is trash and she gassed! Valentina beats her easy!
— Mike "Biggie" Rhodes (@TeamRocBiggie) October 9, 2021
Laura Sanko
Kick to the lady bits is no fun. I can speak to this 🙋🏼♀️
— Laura Sanko (@laura_sanko) October 9, 2021
Eryk Anders
Take all 5 min
— Eryk Anders (@erykanders) October 9, 2021
Belal Muhammad
No level changes from Mackenzie she needs to work with Khabib or cejudo
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) October 9, 2021
Dam Tom
The inside parry to elbow followed by the left hook to the body by Rodriguez #UFCVegas39 pic.twitter.com/uovkluJnmB
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 9, 2021
Mike Jackson
Dern needs to get this to the ground, stat! #UFCVegas39
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) October 9, 2021
Alan Jouban
Rodriguez is really good in the forward blitz’s.
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) October 9, 2021
Luke Thomas
Dern ends up on top in the most unforeseen scramble ever!
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) October 9, 2021
Nick Kalikas
#UFCFightNight Live In-Game Wagering Odds After RD4
Marina Rodriguez -600
Mackenzie Dern +410#UFCVegas39 💰 | @UFC | @ESPNPlus | @CircaSports— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) October 9, 2021
Mike Jackson
This has been the fight I thought it would be! Love watching the womens fight. #UFCVegas39 #wmma
— Mike Jackson, Esq. (@TheTruthJackson) October 9, 2021
Danny Segura
Dern is down 1-3. She needs a submission here to win the fight. #UFCVegas39
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) October 9, 2021
Raquel Pennington
Holy shit!!!! Just when you think one is done! Dern turned it around. More time on the clock and she would have had that arm bar @ufc
— Raquel Pennington (@RockyPMMA) October 9, 2021
Ben Fowlkes
I can’t believe how close Mackenzie Dern came there to flailing her way into the ground battle she wanted after getting dominated on the feet. She’s got no business winning this fight and yet it still feels like maybe she could?
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) October 9, 2021
Farah Hannoun
We often use the “striker vs. grappler” phrase a little too often, but for this matchup, it couldn’t be more accurate. #UFCVegas39
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) October 9, 2021
Aljamain Sterling
Some feints would’ve done Dern well in this fight. Too much chasing and predictable attacks for Rodriguez to read and cut angles out of danger. Fun fight still. Both ladies showed some serious threats in both their worlds of experience #UFCVegas39
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) October 9, 2021
Belal Muhammad
Marina is a baaaad woman
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) October 9, 2021
UFC
The main event goes the full 25 minutes. How do you have it scored? 📝
[ #UFCVegas39 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OiwCzOWuPF
— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2021
MMA Junkie
#UFCVegas39 results: Marina Rodriguez (@wmmarz) def. Mackenzie Dern via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Full results: https://t.co/Nzc0P5CoBm pic.twitter.com/cauRM9ZMbD
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) October 9, 2021
Mike Bohn
Promises kept. https://t.co/sXFFYjZSQM
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) October 9, 2021
Denis Kang
Marina Rodriguez put on a striking clinic !!! #UFCVegas39
— Denis Kang (@DenisKang) October 9, 2021
Brett Okamoto
Higher opinion of Rodriguez AND Dern off this. I'll watch Rodriguez as a title challenger. She's legit. Dern … don't forget, still just five years into MMA. Cardio held up. Competitor. Improved striking defense. She's 28. How does she look at 30? 32? Good showing by both.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 9, 2021
Shaheen Al-Shatti
Carla Esparza lowkey the biggest winner tonight. #UFCVegas39
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) October 9, 2021