Marina Rodriguez and Yasmin Ricindo at UFC 307 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Dylan Napoleone/Cageside Press
Yasmin Lucindo, the youngest woman on the UFC roster at 22 years old, faced fellow Brazilian Marina Rodriguez at UFC 307 on Saturday.
The strawweight matchup was an opportunity for Lucindo to step into the spotlight, considering Rodriguez had long been considered a title contender in the division.
Rodriguez controlled the action early on, moving forward slowly and methodically. Just under two minutes into the fight, Rodriguez took a kick from Lucindo, but instead of jumping on top of his opponent, he backed away, allowing Lucindo to get back to his feet. There was a good reason for that. Moments later, Rodriguez hit it with a right hand and connected cleanly. Late in the round, Rodriguez could have grazed the top of Lucindo’s head. But once they went to the ground, Yasmin came out on top and worked from half guard, finishing the round there.
In the second round, Lucindo received more time at the top. If there was anything to criticize, it was that she didn’t make much use of that time, with the referee eventually warning her to keep busy and the crowd responding with jeers and boos. Still, the referee did not silence the pair until about 30 seconds remained in the round. That gave time for a spinning back kick and Rodriguez combo or two, but nothing else, and none of it seemed to hurt Lucindo.
Another strong performance for Lucindo in the third round was a hard-fought takedown that was taken away moments later. With Rodriguez on his back covered in blood, the referee noticed Lucindo driving his jaw into his opponent’s eye socket. As a result, he became a stand-up and received a severe warning from the referee. Lucindo will also lose his position. This referee discipline is in contrast to the match between Cesar Almeida and Ihor Potieria, where there were no fouls and five or more eye pokes against Potieria were not called by the referee.
In any case, the rest of the round went off without a hitch and they went the distance and finished on the ground again.
Official result: Yiasmin Lucindo def. Marina Rodriguez, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
