By winning at TUF 26 Finale, Montana De La Rosa also made good on a promise

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t easy for Montana De La Rosa to be away from her daughter during “The Ultimate Fighter 26” tapings.

But the sacrifice paid off when it came to making her “that much better” of a fighter. De La Rosa (8-4 MMA, 1-0) got to showcase some of that evolution on Friday, when she put a first-round ending to her meeting with “TUF 26” castmate Christina Marks (8-9, 0-1 UFC).

Not only that – De La Rosa also got to make good on a promise.

“Getting this win really does mean everything to me and (my daughter),” De La Rosa said as she began to tear up. “I was talking to her today, and she was like, ‘You win or you lose, Mama. I’m going to be sleeping right next to you.’ I was like, ‘I’m going to go out there and win for you. I promise.’” (via Instagram)

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A post shared by montana stewart De La Rosa (@montana_stewart_delarosa) on May 21, 2017 at 12:13pm PDT

The women’s flyweight bout closed out the preliminary card of Friday’s The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale event at Park Theater in Las Vegas. It aired on FS1 following an additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on FS1.

Considering a professional record that shows six submissions among her eight wins, it wasn’t exactly shocking to see De La Rosa earning a tap. Marks, in turn, had her grappling skills questioned by coach Eddie Alvarez and was quickly submitted by Emily Whitmire in her first fight at the “TUF 26” house.

All things considered, De La Rosa had reasons to believe she could be in for a good night on Friday.

“I definitely thought, when I saw her on the show, that it would be a really good matchup for me,” De La Rosa said. “I know I have really good submissions, especially armbars, so I thought I would be able to land that against her.”

De La Rosa’s current winning streak might sit only at two, but it’s worth nothing that her most recent losses were to no slouches. Back in October 2016, De La Rosa had a six-fight winning streak snapped, via submission, by grappling ace and undefeated MMA prospect Mackenzie Dern, in the now-defunct Legacy FC promotion.

The 22-year-old’s second straight setback, at LFA’s inaugural event, came to Cynthia Calvillo – who’s quickly establishing herself as a menacing presence in the UFC’s strawweight roster. Before making it onto “TUF 26” De La Rosa bounced back with a submission win over Kathina Lowe.

All three outings took place in the 115-pound division, where De La Rosa had most of her pro bouts. Moving forward, though, she believes she might just end up making a home at flyweight.

“I think I could always go back to 115, but I really like the 125 division,” De La Rosa said. “I know I’m not small for the division. I’m still just as big as these girls, and I feel strong here. So I think I’m going to stay here as long as I can.”

To hear from De La Rosa, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.