Karol Rosa makes her UFC debut on a card headlined by women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade on Saturday.
Training out of PRVT, Rosa actually holds a win over Jessica Andrade earlier in her career – but it’s a different Andrade than the current UFC champ. She most recently competed at Future FC 4, where she picked up a third-round finish of Gisele Moreira.
Rosa (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Lara Procopio (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a bantamweight bout at UFC on ESPN+ 15 in Shenzhen, China. Rosa’s fight opens the card.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 15, get to know more about Brazil’s Rosa below:
Full name: Karolline Rosa Cavedo
DOB: 12.30.94
Nickname: None
Height/Weight: 5-foot-7, 135 pounds
Birthplace: I was born in Vila Velha, state of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Today I live in Niteroi, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Team: PRVT
How’d you get into professional MMA?
I started out in jiu-jitsu when I was 13. I was encouraged by a cousin of mine. She saw that I had a natural talent for martial arts. By age 17, I had my first MMA bout. I only trained jiu-jitsu at the point, with the occasional muay Thai class. After that, I started training muay Thai more frequently. I also added boxing to my training. My family was against it at first. They thought fighting was a man’s thing. It wasn’t for girls. But as time went by, they got used to it. So, much so, that they fully support me today, and root for me. My entire family watches my bouts. Except for my mother, who’s afraid to watch.
Can you talk about your record and lessons learned?
My record is 11 wins, with only three losses. I lost to Larissa Pacheco at a weight class above. She fought in the UFC, and is in the PFL now. Melissa Gatto also got signed up by the UFC. And Gisele Moreira recently won at Dana White’s Contender Series. My losses were great learning experiences. They showed that I needed to mature some more. It wasn’t the right moment for me to be in the UFC. I grew from those setbacks. Both my standup and ground games have improved since. I was forced to evolve.
What can you say about your opponent, fellow Brazilian Lara Procopio?
I got to know Lara in Rio. We ran into each other at some boxing and jiu-jitsu events. I know that she originally comes from jiu-jitsu. We’re both brown belts. I feel like she’ll want take me down and fight on the mat, but I plan to keep it on the feet, so I can land a knockout. I just don’t know in which round. We’re both having our debut. I feel it’s going to be a great fight.
How was your training camp?
I train at PRVT. Our head coach Gilliard Parana runs our jiu-jitsu and muay Thai classes. I train in every facet of MMA, regardless of whether my opponent is a striking or submission specialist. Usually, we analyze my opponents, and fashion my training sessions with that information in mind. I’ve been training alongside Jessica Andrade. And our team has all kinds of different female fighters. Some are standup fighters, and others specialize on the ground. We even have a judo specialist. It’s always good to find out about new techniques, but I feel we have everything we need in one place.
Plans for the future? Any last thoughts?
I envision myself being the champion in my weight class one day. I see myself as the best fighter. I believe I can earn the belt. Everything I do is for my family. I’m always thinking about people like my brother, and my mother – people who’ve always helped me. I’ve only gotten this far with their help, and that of my friends. I went through a very difficult period when I broke both hands. I became depressed. I couldn’t train properly because of the pain. I almost quit. Gladly, I stayed on course, and I managed to make it this far. So, I do everything for my family, especially my mother.
