Irene Aldana was forced to dig deep at UFC 296.
Karol Rosa started their bout strong, moving well and denying the boxer her preferred range. As Aldana advanced, Rosa repeatedly ripped into her inner thigh, knocking Aldana out of her stance and causing immediate swelling. Aldana was able to close range in the second and third to bloody her foe up and land some gnarly liver shots, but she was still limping when the referee raised her hand.
All in all, it was one of the best women’s Bantamweight bouts ever, a surefire 2023 “Fight of the Year” candidate. Ultimately, all three judges awarded Aldana the decision victory.
IRENE ALDANA’S LEG #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/LzddwsUyFB
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 17, 2023
It’s been over a week since UFC 296, and Aldana has provided some intermittent updates on her leg. There’s been no mention of any serious injury, but Aldana’s leg is changing colors like a frightened octopus! It’s reminiscent of Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber, though that still probably ranks as the all-time most battered leg in Zuffa history.
Check it out:
Irene Aldana shared the gruesome damage done to her leg at #UFC296 on her Instagram
No clue how she managed to keep marching forward the entire fight??#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/IzB8dmzyg8
— MMA Casuals (@MMA_CASUALS_) December 18, 2023
Irene Aldana posts an update on her leg. Last weekend she fought a brutal fight against Karol Rosa.
Crazy sport #UFC #UFC300 #MMA #Boxing #Irene #IreneAldana pic.twitter.com/IeFXrccWRS
— Abe (@AbeMorales209) December 26, 2023
Now that she’s back in the win column, Aldana is a Top Five-ranked Bantamweight with a bit of momentum behind her. She lost to Amanda Nunes over summer, but now that “Lioness” is retired, Aldana could be fighting for the title once again sooner than later. That belt will be on the line when Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva throw down at UFC 297 on Jan. 20, 2024, and Aldana will surely be an interested viewer.