After her first bid for Ultimate Fighting Championship ended in misery, Irene Aldana now has a first step back to contention—and it may be in a different division.
Aldana (14-7) will take on up-and-comer Karol Rosa (17-5) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. It will be the first Octagon appearance for the 35-year-old Mexican since her unsuccessful challenge of UFC bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes at UFC 289 in June. That fight ended in a five-round drubbing by the champ, to the tune of two 50-44 scorecards and one 50-43. Afterward, Nunes retired as a two-division champion at bantamweight and featherweight.
Aldana had won four of her last five leading up to that title shot, including back-to-back finishes of Yana Santos and Macy Chiasson, and will look to keep herself in the title picture by defeating Rosa. The question, however, is which title picture, since Rosa has not fought at bantamweight in nearly a year. While the weight class of the upcoming clash has not yet been confirmed, Rosa moved up to featherweight after a majority decision win over Lina Lansberg at UFC 280 last October.
Rosa’s featherweight debut did not go her way, as she dropped a unanimous decision to Norma Dumont in April. She bounced back from that defeat with a split-decision win against Santos in July. Afterward, the 28-year-old Brazilian expressed her intention to remain at 145 pounds if possible, but it should be noted that UFC President Dana White has previously said that ending the women’s featherweight division “makes sense” after Nunes’ retirement.
UFC 296 takes place on Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the lineup has yet to be finalized, the event is currently scheduled to be headlined by a championship double-header, with Leon Edwards defending his welterweight belt against Colby Covington in the main event, and flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja taking on Brandon Royval in the co-main. The main card is also set to feature former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, as he looks to snap a miserable six-fight losing streak against rising British star Paddy Pimblett.
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