Veteran mixed martial artist Marina Rodriguez has announced her retirement from the sport immediately following her recent bout.
Gillian Robertson served as Rodriguez`s final opponent, securing a second-round TKO victory over the Brazilian fighter at UFC Des Moines on Saturday.
During their post-fight interviews, Rodriguez took the opportunity to declare her decision to retire after a professional career comprising 25 fights.
“This is my last fight because it`s time,” Rodriguez stated. She added that her heart guided her towards doing “something new for this sport.” Rodriguez expressed profound gratitude to all MMA fans for their support, acknowledging the UFC and Dana White, and highlighted signing with the promotion via the Contender Series as a significant moment in her life.
Rodriguez, 38 years old, earned her spot in the UFC through the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2018. She quickly emerged as a formidable competitor in the 115-pound strawweight division, initially building a 3-0-2 record. After a narrow split decision defeat to Carla Esparza, she went on a four-fight winning streak against prominent fighters including Amanda Ribas, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Mackenzie Dern, and Yan Xiaonan. While a championship opportunity never materialized, her consistent high-level performances made her a clear contender.
Unfortunately, the loss on Saturday marked her third consecutive defeat and her fifth loss in her last six appearances. She retires with a professional mixed martial arts record of 17 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws.
For Gillian Robertson (record: 16-8), this win represents the most significant achievement of her career to date. Known for her finishing instincts, the Canadian fighter secured her first victory against a top 10 ranked opponent. This TKO finish also places Robertson in a tie with Amanda Nunes for the highest number of finishes recorded by a female fighter in UFC history.
Robertson, who previously competed at flyweight, controlled the fight primarily with grappling before ending the contest with powerful ground-and-pound strikes at the 2:07 mark of the second round.
