With the women's flyweight searching for contenders for current champion Valentina Shevchenko, Montana De La Rosa and Mara Romero Borella met at UFC Fight Night 167 in a battle between the No. 12- and No. 13-ranked fighters, respectively. A submission expert, De La Rosa maintained control for much of the fight, keeping the action on the mat where she was able to neutralize Borella for three rounds.
While the opening frame could've gone to either fighter, De La Rosa was in control for much of the second and third rounds. Her grappling attack overwhelmed Borella who was forced to spend much of the fight on the mat fending off submission attempts. De La Rosa never actually locked in a submission, but her dominant position and control for the majority of the fight was enough to earn her the win.
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 for the No. 12-ranked De La Rosa, who moved to 11-5. With the loss, Borella fell to 12-7 with 2 NC. The win will likely propel Montana De La Rosa into the top 10 for the women's flyweight division.
The victory puts De La Rosa back in the win column after losing to Andrea Lee back in June 2019. She has now won four of five in the UFC.