Marina Rodriguez was able to pick apart Mackenzie Dern tonight on the feet tonight at UFC Fight Night 194, while also limiting her opportunities to work on the mat, enabling her to secure a convincing unanimous decision victory after five rounds of fighting.
Round One:
Missed kick from Dern. She comes up short with that again. Rodriguez is currently testing out with oblique kick attempts.
Dern with a big missed overhand and then attempts to drive into a clinch attempt, doesn’t get it and then attempts a kick afterwards. Dern’s early work is a bit over-committed as she tries to land with power, but doesn’t find the mark.
Dern drives in again with overhands and does land with one of them and then clinches up against the cage. The technique was clumsy, but it got her where she wants to be regardless.
Rodriguez Has a hold of one of Rodriguez’s arms in an awkward position above her and is cranking on it. Bit of an uncomfortable spot for Dern, but she stays patient and eventually breaks free, but has to give up the clinch position soon afterwards. Rodriguez immediately pressing forward looking to get her offense going.
Jab for Rodriguez. High kick attempt now from Rodriguez. Into the clinch Rodriguez lands a solid knee to the body as Dern was trying to manufacture a throw in the final seconds of the round.
Round Two:
Leg kick from Rodriguez. Dern wades in with punches again and gets to that clinch position against the cage again. Rodriguez doing a good job of fending her off though and gets back to the center of the Octagon.
Dern throwing more punches and lands this time to set up the clinch and then goes for a throw that doesn’t really work very well, but does get the fight to the mat regardless. They scramble and Dern is able to get on top close to the cage working from side control.
Rodriguez walks the cage, but can’t get Dern off of her. Dern has knee on belly and Rodriguez bucks to get her off. Rodriguez trying to work a choke from her back, but Dern is an elite BJJ Player so she’s not panicking and gradually works free.
Dern scrambling and trying to set up an armbar attempt here. Really great work from Dern to deal with Rodriguez’s attempts to scramble away and manages to craftily take the back and put her hooks in.
Now Dern manages to get to full mount and starts to rain down some punches. Very high position from Dern now as she looks to fish for a potential submission late in the round. Rodriguez trying to get out, but Dern’s control is too good and she ends the round on top.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Rodriguez. Now a jab. Right hand over the top. A few hooks that just whiff the target.
Head kick attempt from Rodriguez is blocked. Rodriguez with the oblique kick. A right hand lands. Dern feels out with the jab. Now a spining backfist attempt and gets a bit wild with strikes without connecting.
Head kick attempt from Rodriguez. Now punches for her and back to the oblique kick. Push kick from Rodriguez.
Two missed punches from Dern. Right hand for Rodriguez and now a body kick. A couple of punches and then a leg kick. Dern not really offering anythhing much here in the third round.
Dern charges forward with punches, but Rodriguez backs out and gets away from the cage before the inevitable clinch occurs.
Rodriguez with a flurry of punches now. Leg kick for Dern after eating a punch. Now jab for her. High kick attempt from Rodriguez.
Dern drives into a takedown attempt with purpose and ends up over on the cage still trying to get something going. Rodriguez with a knee attempt and Dern catches her leg and is trying for a single leg. Rodriguez defending with offense though, landing a few strikes that force Dern to let go as the round ends.
Round Four:
Rodriguez firing off punches and now Dern throws hard too without getting through cleanly. Groin strike from Rodriguez forces a brief stoppage.
Calf kick for Rodriguez on the restart. Body kick from Dern, but it was a bit off-balance and awkward. She needs the fight in the clinch and on the mat to make real progress at this stage as Rodriguez is dictating the stand-up action.
Jab from Dern and an uppercut without much behind it. Right hand for Rodriguez. Dern still just opting to strike. Rodriguez with a spinning kick to the body.
Rodriguez loads up big on a straight right. Again she flurries forward and the final right lands cleanly.
left and right hands followed by a kick from Rodriguez. Dern with a flurry and gets countered with a knee to the body.
Dern loads up too hard on punches, gets out of position and eats a kick for her troubles. Rodriguez letting her hands go. Push kicks from Rodriguez.
Suddenly they are in close range and Dern goes for a takedown, ends up landing in full mount in the center of the Octagon and is looking for ground-and-pound.
Not much time to work here. Dern shifts up high looking to set up a submission, then realizes there’s only seconds left in the round and rains down some punches instead. Much needed confidence booster for Dern late in the round after Rodriguez was controlling the stand-up action.
Round Five:
Overhand right for Dern and a glancing left. She goes in with the same wild striking again. Rodriguez lands a leg kick.
Rodriguez marches forward throwing left and right hands. Now a front kick to the body. Oblique kick. No sign of a takedown attempt from Dern yet with 3.30mins left.
Rodriguez lands with a left hook. Now an oblique kick again. Dern catches a kick and tries to grab hold of her and manufacture a takedown attempt, but Rodriguez is able to get away.
Jabs from Rodriguez and then a hard right hand, one of her best punches so far. left hand gets through during another flurry.
Dern just doesn’t have the striking craft to deal with Rodriguez here, but she’s not even attempting to get the fight to the mat.
Wide left hook from Dern just misses. Finally Dern drives into a takedown attempt and gets double underhooks against the cage.
Only 30 seconds to go and Dern’s unable to get the fight to the mat so far. Quick knee to the body from Rodriguez and then breaks free. She continues to come forward landing a body kick, then a knee upstairs and more strikes to follow as the round ends.
Decision:
So, Dern always looked very dangerous on the few occasions she got the action to the floor, but for the most part Rodriguez was frustrating her by keeping the fight upright and displaying the much crisper, cleaner striking, which earns her a unanimous decision victory (49-46 x3).
