Marina Rodriguez recovered from a major disadvantage on the ground to post a unanimous decision over Mackenzie Dern on Saturday in the main event at UFC Vegas 39 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Rodriguez took the cards 49-46 across the board in their strawweight battle at the UFC APEX.
UFC Vegas 39 main card results
Dern, a former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, owned a 7:21 advantage on the ground. But Rodriguez survived multiple submission attempts and recovered to land 144 signature strikes to just 49 for Dern.
“I had to pace myself,” Rodriguez said via a translator in her post-fight interview. “We had five rounds to work, so we worked a little bit slower than usual. But there was a point there.”
Rodriguez (15-1-2) has won three straight fights.
Other winners on the main card included Randy Brown by unanimous decision in the co-main event, Matheus Nicolau by unanimous decision, Mariya Agapova by third-round submission, and Chris Gutierrez by split decision in the main card opener.
UFC Vegas 39 performance bonus winners
- Fight of the Night: Marina Rodriguez vs. Mackenzie Dern
- Performance of the Night: Mariya Agapova
- Performance of the Night: Lupita Godinez
–Field Level Media