Every contender believes they have what it takes to beat the champ, but for Marina Rodriguez, it is a belief grounded in first-hand experience.
Rodriguez is on a four-fight win streak over solid opposition since her first and only career defeat, a split decision loss to then-former strawweight champion Carla Esparza in July of 2020. The close fight against a divisional great was a confidence builder at the time, and only became more so when Esparza won back the belt earlier this year. Esparza’s resurgence parallels Rodriguez’s growth from a promising muay thai prospect to a Top 5 fighter, and now their paths may cross again—if both women can get past the tests in front of them this month.