After first career TKO win, UFC’s Montana De La Rosa would love to fight Antonina Shevchenko
Fresh off a big finish, Montana De La Rosa already has her mind set on whomm she wants to fight next.
De La Rosa (12-6-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) scored the first TKO win of her career when she battered, bloodied and stopped Ariane Lipski in the second round this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 189. The win landed her in the UFC’s top 15 flyweight rankings, and she thinks a matchup with Antonina Shevchenko (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), who’s faced similar opposition, makes sense.
“I’m kind of leaning toward Antonina,” De La Rosa told MMA Junkie Radio. “She beat the girl I just beat, and she just got beat by Andrea (Lee). I think it’s just a good matchup. I would love to have that fight.”
Having already competed twice in 2021, De La Rosa wants to take some time off. The Texas-based fighter has been doing her camps at Elevation Fight Team in Colorado, forcing her to spend a significant time away from her daughter.
De La Rosa does want to fight at least one more time before the end of the year, though, and is targeting a fall return.
“I fought in February, and I just fought (Saturday), so basically I had two eight-week camps in Colorado,” De La Rosa said. “So I was honestly only (home) for like maybe a month total out of the whole year so far. So it’ll be nice to at least take this month. And I’m still going to be training, obviously, at my home gym and just be here in Texas and not have a fight lined up. I would like not to have a fight lined up probably until like anything after September. I think I could get back in there.”
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Montana De La Rosa saw in Ariane Lipski's eyes she was going to get back to finishing
