Marina Rodriguez Fighting Style: Is UFC Star a Black Belt in BJJ?

Marina Rodriguez, 36, will be facing Jessica Andrade, a former UFC strawweight champion, at the highly anticipated UFC 300 event. Rodriguez is probably one of the division’s most deadliest strikers, and she now seeks to establish herself against Andrade who was once at the top of the strawweight mountain.

The UFC strawweight is presently ranked 6th in her division and hopes to move up the rankings by beating whoever stands in her path to glory. With a record of 17-3-2, the Brazilian has achieved considerable success in MMA. Let’s take a look at Rodriguez’s fighting style, which propelled her to the top of the organization.

Fighting Style of Marina Rodriguez

The no.6 ranked UFC strawweight contender, Marina Rodriguez was born in Bage, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil on the 29th of April 1987. The 36-year-old grew up having an impressive athletic background however, it wasn’t till 2013, that the Brazilian found a love for the sport of Muay Thai.

Muay Thai would become the key factor in the arsenal of the strawweight contender in her fights as she prefers striking more than grappling. However, Rodriguez is still just as deadly in her ground game, despite not really utilizing it in her fights.

Though it would be a stretch to call Rodriguez the best grappler in the division, She has earned her purple belt in Jiu-Jitsuall the way back in 2018 and could find finishes in the ground if she wishes. Given her extensive experience since her debut inside the octagon back in 2018, it is without a doubt that she has developed vastly over the years as a more complete fighter.

Marina Rodriguez also has a win by submission after she put on a nasty triangle choke in the second round in her 5th professional MMA fight all the way back in 2016 against Vanessa Guimaraes. But considering that she would be facing a tank in Jessica Andrade, how does she fare up against the former champ?

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Stat Comparison between Rodriguez and Jessica Andrade for UFC 300

Going into their fight at UFC 300, both Marina Rodriguez and Jessica Andrade aren’t far off in terms of stats. However, both fighters seem to have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Both fighters rely extensively on Muay Thai, but, Rodriguez looks to have an advantage in terms of height and reach, standing 5’6 feet and 65 inches(reach) taller than Andrade, who stands 5’1 feet and has a reach of 62 inches in reach. Despite Rodriguez’s longer frame, Andrade is the younger fighter at 32 years old.

As per the stats provided by the UFC, Marina Rodriguez lands about 4.77 SIG. STR. per minute with a 2.89 SIG. STR. absorbed stat to Jessica Andrade’s 6.67 SIG. STR. Landed with a 5.36 SIG. STR. absorbed stat. But Andrade look to mix up her game a little more than Rodriguez as The 36-year-old only has a 0.25 takedown average with a 0.16 submission average, to the 32-year-old’s 2.45 takedown average paired up with a 0.38 submission average.

Seeing how they match up on paper, who do you believe comes out on top at UFC 300? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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