The UFC Fight Night main event was delivered on late notice — and so was its headliner, Marina Rodriguez.
After issues getting a visa and 20 hours of travel, Rodriguez finally arrived in the United States on Thursday morning. The Brazil native will meet Michelle Waterson in the main event on Saturday in Las Vegas. The original main event between TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen was scrapped last week after a Dillashaw injury, and Rodriguez vs. Waterson was made official only four days ago.
Rodriguez and Waterson are both strawweight contenders, but this bout will take place at flyweight because of the short-notice nature of the contest. ESPN has Rodriguez ranked No. 6 in the world at strawweight and Waterson ranked No. 9.
Rodriguez (13-1-2) has just one loss in six UFC outings. The Muay Thai specialist is coming off a second-round TKO win over prospect Amanda Ribas in January. Rodriguez, 34, has lost only to former champion Carla Esparza in the UFC, but she has a pair of draws against Cynthia Calvillo and Randa Markos.
Waterson (18-8) is the former Invicta FC atomweight champion and one of the most popular women’s fighters on the UFC roster. Fighting out of New Mexico, Waterson is coming off a split-decision win over Angela Hill last September, a victory that snapped a two-fight losing skid. Waterson, 35, has won four of six fights overall.
In the co-main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on Alex Morono in another bout that came together earlier this week. Morono is filling in for Cerrone’s original opponent, Diego Sanchez, who was pulled from the fight and released following a dispute with the UFC. Cerrone (36-15, 2 NC) has the most wins (23) and finishes (16) in UFC history, but he is looking for his first victory since May 2019. Morono (18-7, 1 NC) has won four of six.
Also on the card, Neil Magny and Geoff Neal meet in a battle of welterweight contenders, Diego Ferreira takes on Gregor Gillespie in a top-tier lightweight matchup.
Follow the action as it happens with recaps and analysis from Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim, or click here to watch the fights.
First fight:
Welterweight: Christian Aguilera (14-7, 1-1 UFC) vs. Carlston Harris (15-4, 0-0 UFC)
Still to come:
Women’s flyweight: Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2, 3-1-2 UFC, -210) vs. Michelle Waterson (18-8, 6-4 UFC, +175)
Welterweight: Donald Cerrone (36-15 1 NC, 23-12 1 NC UFC, -190) vs. Alex Morono (18-7 1 NC, 7-4 1 NC UFC, +160)
Welterweight: Neil Magny (24-9, 17-7 UFC, +160) vs. Geoff Neal (13-3, 5-1 UFC, -190)
Heavyweight: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (18-1-1, 6-5 UFC) vs. Maurice Greene (9-6, 4-3 UFC)
Lightweight: Diego Ferreira (17-3, 8-3 UFC, +145) vs. Gregor Gillespie (13-1, 6-1 UFC, -170)
Middleweight: Phil Hawes (10-2, 2-0 UFC, +110) vs. Kyle Daukaus (10-1, 1-1 UFC, -130)
Men’s featherweight: Ludovit Klein (17-2, 1-0 UFC, -240) vs. Michael Trizano (9-1, 2-1 UFC, +200)
Middleweight: Jun Yong Park (12-4, +120, 2-1 UFC) vs. Tafon Nchukwi (5-0, -140, 1-0 UFC)