MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
New Mexico fighter scores upset in season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 34
Melissa Amaya, 8-0 as a pro, submits highly regarded foe in pursuit of UFC contract
Published
New Mexico native Melissa Amaya, a 31-year-old mixed martial artist from Chaparral who graduated with a nursing degree from UNM in 2018, won her strawweight fight against Anna Melisano in Sunday鈥檚 debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter 34.
Amaya, who is on the team coached by former UFC champion Daniel Cormier, submitted Melisano, who was the No. 1 ranked women's strawweight fighter on Michael Bisping鈥檚 team.
AS SHE SAID SHE WOULD 馃槫
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter)
Melissa Amaya locks in the submission to kick off the season and move on to the semis!
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鈥淭he one that impressed me the most is Melissa Amaya,鈥� Cormier by the show. 鈥淪he fought Michael鈥檚 No. 1 pick and she submitted her in the first round. She beat her in the stand up, beat her in the grappling. Melissa Amaya is the real deal. She's going to be hard to beat.鈥�
Amaya. 8-0 as a professional fighter, now fights out of Spokane, Washington. While the TUF fights don鈥檛 count on her professional record, the winner gets a six-figure UFC contract.
After Sunday鈥檚 premiere, the 12-show season releases new episodes each Tuesday on Paramount+. The entire season has already been filmed and the fighters aren鈥檛 allowed to discuss who won.
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