Moras (photo via UFC.com)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Although Sarah Moras competed in the eighteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, and advanced to the show’s semifinals, the bantamweight concedes it’s not comparable to what’s coming on July 6th. On that day, at the TUF 19 Finale, the 26 year-old will take on Alexis Dufresne, in what will mark her official, UFC debut.

“I don’t think it takes away the stress,” Moras noted on a recent episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, while discussing whether competing on TUF reduces the stress tied to a UFC debut. “It’s obviously stressful, it’s a fight, they always are, and TUF was almost a year ago.”

“By the time I fight, it will be over a year ago, and it’s totally different fighting there because there’s only 16 people watching rather than a bunch more,” the Canadian fighter furthered.

Moras tapped out Peggy Morgan in the TUF 19 quarterfinals, before she was defeated by the show’s eventual winner, Julianna Pena.

“It was mostly during TUF, but I think Canada doesn’t follow it as much as in the U.S.,” said Moras, when asked if her participation in TUF led to more media requests and fan attention. “People definitely recognized me while the show was airing. Since the show’s not been on, not as many people recognize me, but the odd person will though. So it’s kind of cool.”

Moras (photo via UFC/FOX Sports)

Moras trains out of Toshido MMA in Kelowna, British Columbia, which has also help produce TUF 16 competitor Mike Hill, recent UFC signee Matt Dwyer, and UFC welterweight contender Rory MacDonald.

“It’s extremely hard,” said Moras, when asked what it’s like to be the only professional, female fighter at the gym. “I go with the smaller guys and my guys are stronger than me, so I have to use my technique when I can.”

“I started about seven-and-a-half, eight years ago or so,” added Moras, while discussing what led her to MMA. “I just wanted to get in shape. I actually wanted to be a forest firefighter, but I was too young. A guy I was seeing told me to check out a class, and I did, and here I am.”

Moras turned pro in 2010 and since then has put together a 3-1 record. Dufresne, meanwhile, has gone 5-0 since the decorated grappler started fighting in 2012.

“I haven’t really studied much tape on her,” said Moras. “The only thing I’ve seen is her fight versus Kim Couture, which doesn’t really say a whole lot. But, I haven’t really looked into it a whole lot, I’m just going to do my thing. So let’s see how it goes.”

And is Moras hoping to secure another bout with the aforementioned Pena down the road? Who she defeated once before in 2012?

“I don’t actually. I don’t really care,” said Moras, when asked if she’s hoping to lock up a rubber match with Pena, who continues to recover from an extremely serious knee injury. “I want to fight better people, more named people; I want to make my way to the top. I think by the time she’s back at it, I’m going to be at a different level than that.”

“I’m just looking to fight the best and we’ll see where it goes,” “Cheesecake” added. “If the match-up happens, it happens, but I’d rather work my way up than fight someone I’ve already fought twice.”

The TUF 19 Finale will be hosted by the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.