Karol Rosa’s Blueprint for Success

Karol Rosa likes to keep all her options on the table.

The 27-year-old Brazilian upstart will try to continue her rise through the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight ranks when she toes the line against Sara McMann as part of the UFC on ESPN 33 undercard this Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Rosa has rattled off six consecutive victories, four of them since she joined the UFC roster in 2019, and views McMann as a potential steppingstone at 135 pounds.

“I’m looking forward to beating Sara and entering the Top 10 of our weight class,” she told Sherdog.com. “Who knows? I’d love to be fighting for the belt by the end of this year or by the start of next year.”

Rosa expects a stern test when she meets the Takoma Park, Maryland, native. A silver medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Sumer Olympics in Sydney, McMann has experienced an uneven run in the UFC, where she carries a 6-6 record that includes losses to four current or former champions: Julianna Pena, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes.

“Sara is the best wrestler in our weight class,” Rosa said. “She’s a great grappler. She has good striking, but her forte is takedowns and [the] ground game. I’m a jiu-jitsu black belt. I’m very confident on the ground, and I’ve made significant improvements on my muay Thai. I believe we’ll have a great fight since our styles match up so well.”

Operating out of the same Parana Vale Tudo camp that produced Jessica Andrade, Rosa hit the ground running in the UFC. She made her promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 157 on Aug. 31, 2019, when she engaged in a memorable firefight with Lara Procopio and emerged with a split decision. Rosa has since gone on to defeat Vanessa Melo, Joselyne Edwards and Bethe Correia. Like many other competitors, she was forced to navigate the logistical issues brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, including several failed attempts to book a fight with Julia Avila. It limited her to one appearance in 2020 and two in 2021.

“It was also difficult for Brazilians to enter the United States, but everything happens on God’s time,” Rosa said. “The cancellations allowed me additional training time. I was able to build up my confidence and take time to analyze my future opponents. The time was also helpful in helping me mature and further perfect my game.”

Despite her quick success in the UFC, Rosa remembers her brushes with adversity as a prospect on the regional scene in Brazil. A majority decision defeat to Gisele Moreira and submission defeats to Larissa Pacheco and Melissa Gatto forced her to look inward and did much to shape her development.

“My losses—we always learn from them,” Rosa said. “I wasn’t ready to be in the UFC yet. The losses allowed me to mature and learn more about my own game. It’s how I was able to see what needed to be improved. That was very important for my growth.”

As Rosa approaches perhaps the most significant opportunity of her career to date, she points to a source of strength that exists outside the confines of competition.

“I am a girl who has a lot of faith,” she said. “I believe strongly in God, and everything that happens in my life is because He allows it to happen. My faith is what moves me every day.”