Final fight stats: Rodriguez sets personal striking records

Marina Rodriguez set personal records in significant strikes and total strikes in victory over Michelle Waterson

Marina Rodriguez gave up nine takedowns on 14 attempts in the three fights before she faced Michelle Waterson in the main event of UFC Vegas 26. Rodriguez defended the attempts of Waterson, and stopped four of five shots on her way to a unanimous decision victory.

Rodriguez had height and reach advantages over Waterson, and with the move from strawweight to flyweight because of the short notice nature of the five-round fight, Rodriguez probably had a power advantage as well over the former Invicta FC atomweight champion.

Waterson showed a lot of grit and determination during the five-round contest. When she scored a takedown in the fourth round and racked up over three minutes of control time, it looked as if Waterson might pull an upset victory. However, Waterson failed to land a takedown in the fifth round. With that, her hopes of a win disappeared.

In her first UFC main event, Rodriguez landed 125 significant strikes on 282 attempts. Rodriguez set a UFC career high in landed significant strikes during the five round bout. Overall she landed 144 strikes on 304 attempts. Both numbers were UFC career highs for the Brazilian fighter.

Waterson struggled with her striking in this matchup. Her previous fight, a five-round win over Angela Hill, saw Waterson land 128 significant strikes on 324 attempts and 162 total strikes. Waterson also attempted a staggering 18 takedowns against Hill. She stuck just one.

The win over Waterson could see Rodriguez make a move up the strawweight rankings. There was some talk after UFC Vegas 26 that she could face former 115-pound champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

UFC Vegas 26 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. ESPN broadcasted the main card, which also streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Read on for the final fight stats for the Rodriguez vs. Waterson matchup.