Las Vegas, NV – An unlikely rematch at UFC Vegas 79 on Saturday night is set between strawweights Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez, and even though they’re running it back there are plenty of differences between the first fight and the rematch.
“We’re running it back from 2015. We went for a five rounder, also a last minute call for that fight, we had a great fight. We are going to have a great fight once again,” Rodriguez told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.
“I think there’s two fighters that want to get back in the win column. I think we’re going to have a great fight going forward, and we worked hard for this.”
The first fight with Waterson-Gomez took place about 8 years ago in 2015. With the fight being a rematch, but with years in between, Rodriguez expects some new wrinkles in the fight along with some old ones.
“Fight is the same in the sense that two fighters are the same, but different this time because both of them really want to win. I think that both are need this win right now coming off defeats, and the one that has the bigger will to win, the one that wants it more is going to come out on top with the win,” she said.
It wasn’t long ago that Rodriguez was thought of as a challenger for the strawweight title. Two consecutive losses have put Rodriguez further away from a possible shot at gold.
“The UFC title never left my head. It’s the reason why I am here,” she said.
“I’m not here just to fight. I’m just not here for the money. The reason why I continue to do this is to be a champion. We’re here so we can get talked about again and be considered and having a chance at the title.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Marina Rodriguez above. She takes on Michelle Waterson-Gomez at UFC Vegas 79 on Saturday night.
