Michelle Waterson-Gomez plans to build off the “really great moments” she had against Marina Rodriguez in rematch at UFC Vegas 79

Michelle Waterson-Gomez is set for the first rematch of her carer.

Waterson-Gomez is set to take on Marina Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 79, as the two fought back in May of 2021. The fight was put together on short notice and was a five-round main event at 125lbs.

Ultimately, Rodriguez got a decision win. Now, over two years later, the two are set to run it back, which Waterson-Gomez is excited about.

“I’m really excited, I took that fight on last-minute notice. It became a five-round fight and we had to fight at 125,” Waterson-Gomez said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I feel like that gave her an advantage not having to cut weight, so this will be nice, fighting three rounds at 115. I will be able to push the pace more, and this will be the first rematch of my career. So, it’ll be nice to right some wrongs.”

Although Michelle Waterson-Gomez lost the fight back in 2021, she says she learned a lot from that. Waterson-Gomez believes she had a lot of great moments against Marina Rodriguez that she can look to build off of at UFC Vegas 79.

“It was a great fight, we went five rounds, it was a great experience for both of us. I remember being really disappointed in myself after that fight. I was talking to Dominick Cruz and he’s like ‘What do you mean, you went five rounds on short notice.’ Looking back, I had some really great moments, I just wasn’t able to capitalize on it. That is the plan this time around,” Waterson-Gomez said.

Ultimately, Michelle Waterson-Gomez is expecting her UFC Vegas 79 rematch against Marina Rodriguez to be completely different.

Waterson-Gomez and Rodriguez are already familiar with one another, so she expects it to be an action-packed fight for however long it lasts.

“We are going to get right down to business. We had 25 minutes to feel each other out. This fight is going to be a different pace, at least for me… I think it has been really difficult for a lot of the fighters in the last year to figure out what the judges are looking for. It’s always better in my opinion to get the finish, to not leave it in the judge’s hands. But, that’s easier said than done,” Waterson-Gomez said.

Should Waterson-Gomez get her hand raised and return to the win column, she knows a win gets her fight back into the title picture.

“You are always one fight away. Considering the resume of the girls I have fought, I’m right there,” Waterson-Gomez.