UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs Waterson Predictions, Odds & Picks

• The UFC had to scramble to find a new main event and co-main event for this card as the original main event between Cory Sandhagen and T.J. Dillashaw had to be postponed due to an injury to the latter
• Co-main event fighter Donald Cerrone also found himself with a last-minute replacement opponent as original contender Diego Sanchez was pulled from the fight and ultimately released from the organization
• This card also includes a tough battle between rising welterweights Geoff Neal and Neil Magny – with the winner likely to find themselves ranked within the top-5 of the division

UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs Waterson

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UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs Waterson – Picks & Predictions

Marina Rodriguez vs Michelle Waterson – Women’s Flyweight Division

Marina Rodriguez (-215)

Donald Cerrone vs Alex Morono – Welterweight Division

Alex Morono (+140)

Neil Magny vs Geoff Neal – Welterweight Division

Neil Magny (+150)

Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs Maurice Greene – Heavyweight Division

Maurice Greene (+140)

Carlos Diego Ferreira vs Gregor Gillespie – Lightweight Division

Gregor Gillespie (-190)

Amanda Ribas vs Angela Hill – Women’s Strawweight Division

Amanda Ribas (-177)

How to Watch UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs Waterson

Marina Rodriguez vs Michelle Waterson – Women’s Flyweight Division

Marina Rodriguez

Marina Rodriguez first appeared in the eyes of UFC fans when she earned a TKO victory over Maria de Oliveira Neta on the Dana White Contender Series in 2018. She followed that performance by making her UFC debut against Randa Markos, with the two fightings to a majority draw. Rodriguez then won two straight fights before fighting to another majority draw – this time against Cynthia Calvillo.

She suffered her first loss in the UFC to Carla Esparza last July: a razor-thin split-decision loss. She most recently fought at the beginning of this year in January. Rodriguez took on fast-rising prospect Amanda Ribas and managed to secure a second-round TKO victory which also earned her a performance of the night bonus.

The Brazilian fighter trains in her home country with the Thai Brasil and AS Team gyms under coaches Alexandre de Souza and Marcio Malko. She holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under de Souza as well as a dark blue with black tip belt in muay thai. She has been fighting since 2015 and is currently ranked as the sixth-best women’s flyweight in the division.

She will have a four-inch height and five-inch reach advantage over her opponent this Saturday night.

Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson

After securing three big wins in a row against the likes of Cortney Casey and Felice Herrig, Michelle Waterson soon found herself on the other side of the judges’ scorecards, losing back-to-back bouts against former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza.

She bounced back in her most recent bout, earning a five-round split-decision victory over Angela Hill last September in a bout that was deemed the fight of the night.

Born in Colorado, Waterson currently trains out of Albuquerque, New Mexico with the Jackson Wink MMA Academy. She holds a black belt in American freestyle karate as well as a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Roberto Alencar. Currently ranked as the ninth-best women’s flyweight in the UFC, Waterson is one year older than her opponent and has ten more fights worth of experience in the MMA game.

Donald Cerrone vs Alex Morono – Welterweight Division

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone

Originally slated to go head-to-head with fellow UFC legend Diego Sanchez, Donald Cerrone now finds himself slated to do battle with Alex Morono on just 10-days notice. Sanchez was pulled from the bout and subsequently released from the promotion.

A far cry from the fighter he once was, Cerrone hasn’t won a bout since a 2019 win over Al Iaquinta. Since then, he has lost four-straight against top stars Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, and Anthony Pettis (three of those losses came via TKO).

Cerrone’s most recent bout took place last September. He and opponent Niko Price fought to a majority draw. The fight was later overturned to a no-contest after Price tested positive for marijuana use.

A UFC mainstay since 2011, Donal Cerrone holds UFC records for most wins, most finishes, and most post-fight bonuses. The Colorado native trains in his home state with the BMF Ranch and coach Joe Schilling. Fighting professionally since 2006, Cerrone holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Eliot Marshall as well as a black belt in gaidojutsu. Although he has recently been fighting in the welterweight division where he is unranked, Cerrone still sits as the 15th-best lightweight in that division.

Alex “The Great White” Morono

Like Cerrone, Alex Morono’s last loss came against Anthony Pettis. Morono faced Pettis last December and was defeated by unanimous decision. Prior to that loss, Morono had defeated Rhys McKee a month earlier by decision. Morono is 2-2 over his last four octagon appearances.

The Texan splits his time training with both the Gracie Barra Woodlands gym as well as with Fortis MMA with trainer Sayif Saud. Fighting since 2010, Morono holds a first-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Alex Gotay as well as a black belt in taekwondo under Matt Wald.

Morono will stand one-inch shorter than Cerrone in this bout but he will have an equal 73-inch reach and is eight-years younger than his opponent.

Neil Magny vs Geoff Neal – Welterweight Division

Neil “The Haitian Sensation” Magny

Following a knockout loss at the hands of Santiago Ponzinibbio in 2018, Neil Magny climbed his way back to make his presence felt in the welterweight division. Magny put together a three-fight winning streak that included three unanimous decision victories, including one against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.

He would have that winning streak snapped, however, in his most recent bout. Earlier this year in January, Magny took on Michael Chiesa in a five-round main event. It was Chiesa who was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

The New York native currently trains out of Colorado with the Elevation Fight Team as well as the Easton Training Center. He has been fighting since 2010 and holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Miguel Torres and Andre Leite. He is ranked as number nine in the UFC welterweight division.

He will enter the octagon on Saturday night boasting a four-inch height advantage over Geoff Neal as well as a five-inch reach advantage.

Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal

Like his opponent, Geoff Neal also recently had a winning streak snapped. After winning seven fights in a row – a streak that included wins over the lilies of Belal Muhammad, Niko Price, and Mike Perry – Neal found himself on the losing end of a unanimous decision. In what was the last UFC event of 2020, Neal main-evented against Stephen Thompson and was ultimately dominated on his way to a decision loss.

Born in Texas, Neal trains out of his home state with the Forits MMA team and coach Sayif Saud. Fighting since 2012, Neal holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is currently ranked right behind Neil Magny in the welterweight rankings as number-ten.

He is three-years younger than his opponent.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs Maurice Greene – Heavyweight Division

Marcos Rogério “Pezão” de Lima

Since making his official UFC debut in 2014, Marcos Rogerio de Lima has yet to put together any form of streak – whether it be a winning one or losing one. Since a KO victory in the Ultimate Fighter finale, de Lima has gone 5-5 in the UFC, consistently winning a fight, then losing a fight.

If you are a believer in patterns, then de Lima is due for a win this Saturday night as his last fight was a first-round submission loss to Alexander Romanov last November.

The Brazilian heavyweight spends his time working with the 011 MMA Team as well as spending some time with American Top Team. Fighting since 2009, de Lima holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This will be his fifth UFC bout in the heavyweight division after competing in the light heavyweight division for his first six contests where he struggled to make the 205-pound limit.

Maurice “The Crochet Boss” Greene

Also a former Ultimate Fighter competitor, Maurice Greene has gone just 1-3 in his last four octagon appearances. He lost back-to-back fights against Sergei Pavlovich and Aleksei Oleinik before defeating Gian Villante by submission last June.

His most recent fight took place last October against Greg Hardy. Greene was beaten by TKO in the second round.

The American-born fighter trains under coach Brock Larson and spends time working his craft at both the Jackson Wink MMA Academy as well as The Performance Compound. Fighting since 2012, Greene holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Larson and two of his four UFC wins have come by submission.

He will enter the cage Saturday with a significant six-inch height and seven-inch reach advantage.

Carlos Diego Ferriera vs Gregor Gillespie – Lightweight Division

Carlos Diego Ferreira

Carlos Diego Ferreira is definitely one to watch in the always exciting lightweight division. Ferriera was recently riding a six-fight winning streak that stretched from 2016 to 2020 and included wins over the likes of Olivier Aubin-Mercier and former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

His most recent bout took place this past February against a man who had previously beaten him: Beneil Dariush. Unfortunately for Ferreira, Dariush would defeat him once again (by split-decision) – snapping his winning streak in the process.

The Brazilian fighter trains out of Texas at his own gym as well as with Fortis MMA. He has been fighting since 2011 and holds a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is ranked as the 12th-best lightweight in the division. He will enter the octagon Saturday night with a two-inch advantage in height and a three-inch advantage in the reach department over his opponent.

Gregor “The Gift” Gillespie

Gregor Gillespie entered the UFC in 2016 as an undefeated 7-0 fighter and he did not slow down once he joined the promotion. From 2016 through to 2019, Gillespie went 6-0 with the UFC and went into his most recent fight with all the hype in the world.

He went up against Kevin Lee in November 2019 and was brutally knocked out via head kick in the first round at UFC 244. He hasn’t fought since. He was scheduled to face Brad Riddell this past March but the bout was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols.

Boasting NCAA Division I wrestling credentials, Gillespie has been fighting professionally since 2012 and trains out of Long Island with Long Island MMA. He holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Joe Scarola and Carlos Rosado. He is currently ranked as the 14th-best lightweight in the promotion.

Amanda Ribas vs Angela Hill – Women’s strawweight Division

Amanda Ribas

Amanda Ribas was (and, quite frankly, still is) one of the UFC’s fastest rising stars. She debuted for the organization in June of 2019 where she submitted Emily Whitmire in the second round. The win was her first of five straight – a streak that included other notable wins over the likes of MacKenzie Dern and Paige VanZant.

However, her winning streak would come to an end in her most recent bout, where she took on this event’s headline Marina Rodriguez. The fight took place this past January at UFC 257 and Rodriguez would earn a second-round TKO victory.

The happy-go-lucky Brazilian fighter has split her time in the UFC between the strawweight and flyweight divisions. She has been fighting since 2014 and spends her time training with American Top Team and she holds black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo. She sits just outside the top-ten of the strawweight division as number-eleven.

She is nine years younger and two inches taller than her opponent and she will also have a two-inch reach advantage this Saturday night.

Angela “Overkill” Hill

A UFC roster member since 2017, Angela Hill has fought almost everyone and has seen relatively mixed results. After three big wins in a row, Hill saw herself lose back-to-back fights against Claudia Gadelha and Michelle Waterson. Luckily she bounced back in her most recent fight, which took place against Ashley Yoder this past March. Hill earned a unanimous decision victory over Yoder.

Fighting since 2014, the American-born fighter spends her time training with Alliance MMA. Previously a kickboxer, Hill holds a professional kickboxing record of 16-0. She sits right behind Amanda Ribas in the strawweight rankings as the 12th-best in the division.