New manager views Marina Rodriguez, Jessica Andrade as 'Anderson Silva and Mike Tyson'

A pair of top Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweights have changed representation, and their new manager holds them in extremely high regard.

This week, management team Dominance MMA, helmed by Ali Abdelaziz, has just brought two more recruits for his team of athletes: top strawweight contenders Marina Rodriguez and Jessica Andrade. The partnership took place after a meeting between Gilliard Alfredo Fagundes, also known as Gilliard “Parana,” the head coach of Parana Vale Tudo who managed both in a partnership between his Top Fight agency and Brazilian manager Tiago Okamura. “Parana” spoke to Sherdog on Wednesday about his fighters being signed to the international management organization of Dominance MMA.

“I sat with Ali in a meeting and saw his numbers, his involvement with the UFC,” Fagundes explained. “For those who are at a high level [and] close to the belt, it is very worthwhile to deal with him. I talked to Okamura, who continues to be a great friend and partner with other athletes, and he understood.”

Sherdog then spoke to Dominance MMA chief Abdelaziz about the new arrangement with the two top-ranked strawweights.

“I feel I just signed the best two girls in the 115-pound division,” the manager gushed. “Jessica Andrade is the female Mike Tyson. She has crazy talent. I [have] never seen talent like this in my life, especially for a girl; and Marina Rodriguez, she is the female Anderson Silva. She is one of the best strikers in the UFC. I truly believe her [striking] is even better than Valentina [Shevchenko’s]. She has a great team with her great coach. She will [win] one fight and fight for the title. I’m very happy to start working with the Mike Tyson and Anderson Silva of [the] strawweight division, and I see a brilliant future for both.”

With a large stable under the Dominance MMA banner, including names like Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush, Abdelaziz firmly keeps his finger on the pulse of the sport. Two of the lightweights he represents in Makhachev and Dariush will be competing at UFC 280 in October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“I’m excited about Charles Oliveira and Islam,” he noted. “As I told you a few weeks ago, in my eyes, Charles is the champion. We respect him a lot, his coach ‘Macaco’ is a legend, but this is business. I know Charles is a tough opponent, but Islam is very hard to beat stylistic. It’s gonna be a great fight, and the best will leave with the belt.”

According to Abdelaziz, his client Dariush did not complain when his prospective opponent changed from Makhachev to Mateusz Gamrot. Dariush and Makhachev had been linked together in the past, but Makhachev was elevated to fight for the vacant lightweight strap. The manager believes a win for Dariush will put him in contention for the next title shot.

“Beneil Dariush said, ‘close your eyes and [point] your finger [to the ranked lightweight list], get a name and give [him to] me,’” Abdelaziz explained. “He didn’t care who he fights. Beneil Dariush, in my opinion, in my whole history, [is one of a very few like] Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and Frankie Edgar…they never question their opponent. These are real fighters. Dariush is a real gangster. He is one of the best fighters in the world, and his fight with Gamrot will be a no. 1 contender match for Beneil. He is the next for the title. I know Gamrot is a great fighter, but Beneil will knock him out.”