Athletes
KAROL ROSA KEEPS PROGRESSING
Tenured Brazilian Bantamweight Reflects On Five Years In The UFC, Clash With Irene Aldana Ahead Of Her 2024 Debut On Saturday
When Karol Rosa steps into the Octagon to battle Pannie Kianzad on the preliminary card portion of Saturday’s Fight Night event at the UFC APEX, she will be three weeks shy of the five-year anniversary of her UFC debut.
The now 29-year-old bantamweight made her first appearance in Shenzen, China, fighting on the same card as her teammate, then strawweight champion Jessica Andrade, where she earned a split decision win over fellow Brazilian newcomer Lara Procopio. Three more victories followed, establishing the PVT product as an emerging name to track in the 135-pound weight class, but over the last couple years, the results haven’t been as consistent.
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“I’ve said since Day One that the goal is to get to a title fight, and I believe that every fight that I’ve had, I improved a little bit,” Rosa said on Wednesday morning, speaking through her translator, Tiago Okamura. “Every fight, every camp, I improve a little and hopefully that is gonna get me to a position where by the time I get my title fight — when that comes — I’m gonna be the best version of myself and with the best chances of taking the belt.”
Over her last five outings, Rosa has alternated outcomes, with each of the contests going to the scorecards, as all of her UFC appearances have thus far.
Each of those battles have come against ranked opponents, including former title challengers Sara McMann, Yana Santos, and Irene Aldana, and while those three matchups didn’t go her way, the Top 15 mainstay believes they have all contributed to her steady improvement.
“I’m improving and you’re always gonna see a better Karol Rosa than you saw last time,” she said, offering a tease of what to expect when she faces off with Kianzad this weekend in Las Vegas. “I think I’ll be able to show that not only am I a complete MMA fighter, but I did tweak quite a bit of my striking as well, so I think you’re going to see a little bit of everything in this fight.
“I think the experience is at a great point right now. I’ve seen most of what I think I can see in MMA now. Physically, I’m doing great, mentally also, and again, always tweaking my technical side.
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“I think I’m right at a point where I can start my title run.”
A great deal of that confidence stems from the battle she was able to endure with Aldana last time out at UFC 296.
Paired off with the Mexican contender in her first appearance since challenging for the bantamweight title last summer, Rosa took the fight to Aldana out of the chute, battering her lead leg and opening an early lead in the preliminary card fixture.
But Aldana steeled herself away and continued to march forward, landing fewer, but more immediately impactful shots than Rosa in each of the final two rounds to secure a come-from-behind unanimous decision win.
“Even though I didn’t get the win, I felt l left everything in there — I did my all — and for that I am happy; I’m satisfied with my performance,” Rosa said of the contest. “I wish that I could have gotten the win, but I know that I gave it all and together we put on an amazing fight.
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“For me it was a great measuring stick; a great test to see how much I can take. I went in there very much aware that if I struck with Aldana, there was a risk of me getting knocked out or dropped on my ***. I went in there with my heart open, ready and willing to test myself and I think I passed.
“Going forward, knowing I was able to do the three rounds with her, at the pace that it was, in that kind of a fight, I believe there is nobody you’re gonna put in front of me that is going to give me a harder fight than her; at least in that kind of fight.”
Some will want to argue that Rosa is simply trying to find a silver lining to a fight that didn’t go her way, but her assessment of things falls right in line with how we often discuss the different challenges competitors need to face in order to determine whether they have what it takes to claim a spot in the upper tier of their respective divisions.
Results are certainly important, but so too is finding out that you belong; that you’re capable of going 15 hard minutes with a recent title challenger that has gone 8-3 over her last 11 fights and only been beaten by women that have held championship gold.
Those things can often be more beneficial than a clear win over someone you’re “supposed to beat” and that’s precisely why Rosa’s confidence is at an all-time high entering this weekend’s matchup with Kianzad.
Given their similar trajectories over the last handful of years, it’s surprising that the women haven’t crossed paths inside the Octagon before, as Kianzad has just eclipsed the five-year anniversary of her return to the promotion following her time on The Ultimate Fighter, and charted a similar course to being a fixture in the rankings.
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Entering with plans on halting her two-fight skid and propelling herself forward in the wide-open bantamweight ranks, Rosa knows she’ll be facing down a tough, motivated foe this weekend, and sees Saturday’s contest as just another test she needs to take and pass in order to keep progressing towards her ultimate goal.
“The same way that Aldana’s fight was a test in one sense, I believe this one is another test in another sense,” she said of the pairing with Kianzad. “I could just go out and brawl with her, make it a fun fight, but I believe I can test different stuff in this fight. I believe this is a fight where I can show my complete MMA game.
“I tweaked a few things in my game that I want to put into action on Saturday night, and I think it’s gonna be another good test to see if I’m getting up to the point where I’ll be able to get to the title fight.”
It’s also an opportunity for Rosa to shine opposite another pair of ranked bantamweights looking to work forward in the division.
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While Rosa and Kianzad are stationed on the prelims, tenured vet Yana Santos and Stockton’s Chelsea Chandler occupy one of the six main card slots this weekend, giving Saturday a little bit of a showcase feel for those angling to make waves in the 135-pound ranks.
Asked how she intends to ensure that she’s the one everyone is talking about when the dust settles and the action is over this weekend, the Brazilian smiled and laughed.
“Not trying to put anybody down, but watch my last fight, and you can expect more of that,” she said confidently. “If you want to watch a fun fight, tune into mine — you’re not gonna regret it.”
UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 10, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
