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Seemingly split one round apiece heading into the third, Rodriguez’s hot streak was met with a thunderous right hand from Lemos. Falling back to the cage, Lemos landed vicious follow-up strikes until the referee was forced to step in and stop the fight.
Not only was this Rodriguez’s first loss in over two years, but it meant she needed to repeat 2021 all over again if she hopes to achieve her one aspiration as a mixed martial artist: becoming a UFC champion.
UFC 288 Fight By Fight Preview
“I just want to be the champion,” Rodriguez said before her bout against Lemos. “It’s all I think about, it’s my only focus. After I make it happen, I’m sure I will be able to think of something else and I will be able to fulfill other dreams that I’ll only have after becoming the champion.”
With that in mind, Rodriguez wasted no time getting back to training and staying in fight shape while waiting for a call from the UFC. The call finally came early this year, when Rodriguez was offered a three-round clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo.