Montana De La Rosa logged in a dominant performance tonight against Nadia Kassem at UFC 234, controlling the action right the way through the fight until the armbar finish midway through the second round.
Round One:
De La Rosa with a long combination of left and right hands to start and backs Kassem straight into the cage. Now she’s working on a takedown and lands it. Good start for her.
De La Rosa into half guard and looking for a few elbows. A couple of punches to the head for her and continues to make life uncomfortable for her pressed up against the cage.
De La Rosa able to trap an arm and continues to land blows, but then Kassem adjusts and gets De La Rosa back to her full guard.
Half guard again for De La Rosa and working a little ground and pound to the body and head. Kassem works to full guard again. It’s not long before De La Rosa is soon back to half guard yet again and looking to pass further.
Now De La Rosa gets to side control briefly, then north south choke. De La Rosa tresi for an armbar, then transitions to a kimura in the final seconds of the round, but can’t force a tapout in time remaining.
Round Two:
Left hook and a right hand for De La Rosa to start the second, then a series of punches just as in the first round to get into range and then land another takedown.
This time De La Rosa has her down near the center of the Octagon though as she works half-guard and then passes to side control.
De La Rosa traps an arm and has knee on belly, then into full mount and straight into triangle choke. Again De La Rosa transitions, working for an armbar, belly down.
Kassem doing very well to hang in there though and isn’t willing to tap. However, De La Rosa goes back to the triangle choke and rolls back on top with it. She keeps transitioning, going to the armbar again and this time it forces Kassem to verbally submit with 2.37mins of the second round gone.
