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Melissa Amaya | A Love Letter to Everyone That Helped Her
TUF Finalist Melissa Amaya Sees Win On Saturday As A ‘Thank You’ To All Those Who Aided Her In Her MMA Journey
Melissa Amaya didn’t set out to be a professional fighter, especially not one with the opportunity to join the limited list of women to win a season of The Ultimate Fighter and earn a place on the UFC roster.
As such, securing a win this weekend over Tina Black in the strawweight finale on September 26 in Las Vegas is for the people who have supported her along this unexpected adventure more than it is a trophy she’s chasing for herself.
“It’s hard to describe it because there was a point in my life where I had everything planned, and then you go to college, your dreams shatter, your identity is like ‘What’s going on?’ and I couldn’t really see towards the next day,” Amaya said. “I couldn’t really plan any more. It was just kind of ‘I don’t know what’s gonna happen in life and I don’t have a plan for the first time.’ … I really still don’t have a plan, so winning this fight is more for my family and everybody that has helped me get here. It’s a way to give back because, ugh, fighting is so hard, and so mental, and you can’t do it alone. You have to find people that are willing to get punched by you and answer the call when I’m like, ‘Hey, are you available for a random practice at this time?’
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“It takes a village, so honestly, this fight isn’t even for me — it’s my love letter to everybody that has ever helped me.”
The undefeated 31-year-old arrives to the finals having taken out Team Bisping’s top two selections, Anna Melisano and Gigi Canuto, and the way she is viewing the matchup stands in stark contrast to how she initially approached her career in the cage.
Amaya, a registered nurse, came to the sport looking for a challenge, and she never approached fighting as anything more than a job. As such, she arrived to compete with only her corner in tow.
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“When I came into fighting, I approached it as a sport, something very cerebral, to myself,” explained Amaya, who trains at Sikjitsu in Spokane, Washington, and is the fourth member of the team to advance to an Ultimate Fighter finale, joining Michae Chiesa, Julianna Pena, and Brady Hiestand. “It wasn’t a lifestyle or anything like that. I was just gonna do a job, and so my first seven fights, I didn’t have anybody around me. It was just my corner. I didn’t have family come watch. It was just, ‘I’m gonna go over there’, and I would even tell my family, ‘I’m not gonna be responding to my phone for the last 24 hours. I’m in go-mode and I’m focused.’ … The last fight that I had in Combate, I invited my family, and my teammate was able to go with my family and friends, and it was just like, ‘This is amazing! This is what makes it amazing and I think this is what it was missing,’ because I would get my hand raised and feel empty inside.”
This week has been a perfect encapsulation of that shift for Amaya and the whole Sikjitsu team. She is the fourth person from the Spokane-based gym to reach an Ultimate Fighter finale, joining Michael Chiesa, Julianna Peña and Brady Hiestand, who also competes at UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos. In addition to her and Hiestand competing Saturday, prospect Jaden Ortega fought Tuesday on Dana White’s Contender Series, earning a contract, and flyweight Devon Jackson headlines Friday’s Tuff-N-Uff event at the Sahara as well.
Melissa Amaya: "I Am Not Your Typical Fighter" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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Melissa Amaya: "I Am Not Your Typical Fighter" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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“The fight is such a blip — it’s a blink of an eye — and that can’t make it worth it,” Amaya said. “It’s about the journey and who you get to spend your time with, all that stuff, and it means everything to have Jaden have such a big night (on Tuesday night). Devon Jackson fights on Friday, and then Brady on the same card and he’s been out for a hot minute, so this is a big deal for him too… This is what documentaries are made out of; it’s an amazing blessing. And my whole family gets to be there this time too. My husband got time off — he’s in the military (and) he’s gonna fly from Florida. Things are just lining up. My three older brothers, both of my parents; it’s… yeah.”
While Amaya is focused on the broader perspective of what all of this means, the narrower view of her journey to the finale should not be overlooked as she’s in the midst of one of the best underdog runs in the show’s 34-season history.
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She was the sixth pick of Daniel Cormier and the fifth strawweight competitor selected overall. In her quarterfinal matchup, Amaya submitted Melisano in the opening round, opening a lot of eyes by swiftly taking out Michael Bisping’s first pick. In the semis, she survived a gnarly armbar attempt by Canuto before rallying to finish her in the second round.
Now, she’s paired up with Black, who was Cormier’s first pick from the strawweight competitors and who claimed her spot in the finals by earning a unanimous decision win over Delphine Benouaich, Cormier’s second strawweight pick. Should Amaya complete her run and defeat Black, it will be the best individual showing by an Ultimate Fighter competitor in terms of who they beat based on seeding since Nicco Montano beat the No.1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 6 seeds on Season 26 to become the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion.
“Being able to take out Anna to begin with — that fight alone, you’re going against somebody who is (Bisping’s No. 1 pick) and who is a striker, who is looking at you like a grappler, and you go and you prove everybody wrong,” she said, grinning. “The energy shifted with the coaches and everybody. They were like, ‘Ooh, she can fight!’ And like any other person, we all have our own personal doubts like, ‘Maybe I don’t belong here. These girls are really good,’ and every step it just kept solidifying that ‘Yes, you’re meant to be here. Yes, you’re a competitor. Yes, you can hang, and yes, you can beat these chicks, in great fashion.’
“Getting to fight Tina is the next test,” she added. “Tina is amazing. She’s a good striker, a good grappler, a veteran of this sport. She’s been fighting longer than I even thought about going to kickboxing class, and then it’s the finale, so it’s absolutely amazing that I get to test myself against the best.”
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Less than five years since making her professional debut, Amaya stands on the precipice of claiming a place on the UFC roster. While she already said that a victory is for who helped her reach this point, it also sends a clear message to the rest of the strawweight division as well.
“I think it’s gonna prove not to underestimate me,” said Amaya.
So what does she need to do to complete her impressive run through the competition?
“I’m gonna have to make it ugly, and my style is ugly, so I think I’ll be okay.”
UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 26, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!