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#4. Marina Rodriguez
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No.3-ranked strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez has looked great since bouncing back from her loss to Carla Esparza in 2020. Like Dern, Rodriguez has also won four straight fights, and a rematch could be on the horizon. Her winning streak also includes a unanimous decision win over Michelle Waterson at flyweight. She then followed that up with a unanimous decision over Mackenzie Dern and a split decision over Yan Ziaonan.
‘Cookie Monster’ won in their first encounter via split decision after the judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. Perhaps Rodriguez would be more aggressive with her striking early on and won't allow the champion to shoot for a takedown. However, Esparza could see an opportunity to exploit any weaknesses she picked up on in the first bout. Based on how the first bout was scored and how their recent fights have ended, the rematch could go the distance.
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#3. Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas
Despite their title fight not being well received at UFC 274, Rose Namajunas earning another title shot is still likely. The decision didn’t go her way, but Namajunas did show improvements in her wrestling defense. Esparza took her down, but Namajunas did a great job of quickly getting back to her feet.
‘Thug Rose’ is still a top strawweight and could easily bounce back from the title loss. She has done it in the past and is one win away from earning the trilogy fight with ‘Cookie Monster.’ Based on the reception of their most recent bout, a trilogy bout most likely won’t main event a pay-per-view. If Namajunas picks up a few wins and Esparza is still champion, it’d be hard to deny her a title shot.
During her post-fight press conference, ‘Thug Rose’ was critical of the decision that resulted in her losing the title. She felt that she should’ve been awarded the decision for inflicting more damage.
“I felt as if I landed more shots. I even took her down. None of her takedowns were significant or any control time. She hit with I’d say one good punch.”
