TUF 18 semi-finalist Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras earned a hard-fought win in her official Octagon debut tonight at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada. Moras outpointed Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne, who missed weight by eight pounds for the planned bantamweight bout.
Moras was active with strikes and submission attempts throughout the fight, even when she was forced to work from her back. Dufresne landed ground and pound in the final round and avoided more of Moras’s submissions, but Moras’s offence in the opening ten minutes propelled her to a close victory.
Moras (4-1-0) countered a big right hook from Dufresne (5-1-0) with a five-punch combination early in the fight, but Dufresne took her down and worked from the top. Moras attempted an armbar from the bottom and Dufresne escaped by passing to side control. She nearly mounted Moras, but the Canadian scrambled from the bottom and got back to guard. Moras landed a series of elbows from her back and postured for an armbar. Dufresne stood up and ate an upkick to the face. She returned to Moras’s guard, but Moras remained the more active fighter on the ground.
In round two, Moras scored with lead left hooks early on and Dufresne took her back down into side control. Moras fought back to half-guard and threw hammerfists from the bottom as a fatigued Dufresne held on. The fighters were eventually stood up and Moras scored a takedown of her own. She pinned Dufresne against the base of the cage until referee Yves Lavigne called for another standup. Dufresne reversed a takedown, but Moras wasted no time in sweeping back into top position. She landed short punches and fought off an omoplata attempt before the bell.
Dufresne immediately took Moras down in round three and wound up in side control following a brief scramble. She bloodied Moras’s nose with punches and targeted the body with more strikes. Moras got back to full guard and threw elbows from her back. She tried for a triangle choke and an armbar, then landed another hard upkick as Dufresne stood. Dufresne passed to side control and prevented Moras from sweeping. Moras nearly took her back and she transitioned from an armbar to a triangle choke, but Dufresne escaped before time expired.
After 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, the judges were united in their verdict. One judge awarded all three rounds to Moras, while the remaining two both had it 29-28 in the TUF 18 veteran’s favour. Moras has won back-to-back fights since suffering her lone professional defeat against fellow TUF 18 castmate Raquel “Rocky” Pennington at Invicta FC 2.
Winner: Sarah Moras by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 4-1-0.
(Photo Credit: UFC)
Missed the fight, but I am glad Dusfrene’s hype train has been derailed. She only fought cans with losing records, and I was sure Moras was far tougher than anyone else she faced. I knew Moras was going to win. Missing weight makes her loss even more ridiculous. That and her cocky statement regarding punching b*tches on the face.
I wouldnt say the hype train has been derailed most of these broads the ufc signs get contracts of beating cans. She clearly killed her self trying to make weight. The ufc shouldve never signed a fighter that didnt make weight in her last fight in her first attempt to make 135 & miss by dam near 20 lbs. Where they do that at? The ufc for the most part should be at fault for this not her. They shouldve knew she would more than likely not make weight. She is a big girl i still think she can make weight if she does it right look at peggy morgan lol.
Holly Holm’s hype train derailment is next. In fact, Moras would probably take her to the ground and kill her. Loved how active Moras was during the entire fight,
Dufresne has talent, but probably killed her big leagues chances by coming in so overweight and getting beat. UFC will give her one more chance and that is it.