After a ten-month break from MMA competition, amateur prospect Sarah “Piranha” Goodlaxson steps back into the cage at United Fight League’s “March Madness” event on March 31st in Davison, Michigan. Goodlaxson is set to face Myndi “Moose” Collins, who has won back-to-back fights.
Goodlaxson earned a second-round submission victory in her most recent bout in May. She credits a move to Michigan and a change in teams as instrumental in getting her career on track after a setback in 2010. Collins has fought four times since October and was victorious this past weekend.
Goodlaxson (3-3-0) posted wins in two of her first three fights and quickly garnered a reputation as a prospect to watch for at 105 pounds. In March 2010, Goodlaxson debuted for the renowned Tuff-N-Uff promotion and moved up in weight to face a much larger opponent in Gabriella Lakoczky. Goodlaxson was defeated early in the first round of the fight, which proved to be a pivotal turning point in her career. Goodlaxson felt that her best interests were not being looked after by her team and opted to make the move from her home in Illinois to the state of Michigan to train with the H8 Squad alongside King of the Cage contender Dom O’Grady, among others.
The move has thus far paid off for Goodlaxson. She first engaged in a spirited battle with top-ranked strawweight Jessica Philippus in February and returned with an impressive submission victory in May. With eyes on a showdown with a long-time rival later this year, Goodlaxson will first take to the cage to face Collins next month.
“I’m excited to fight again and I hope it’s a war,” Goodlaxson told MMARising.com today. “Much respect to my opponent and I’m honored to finally be fighting in Michigan for the first time.”
Collins (2-2-0), in stark contrast to her opponent, has maintained an extremely active schedule since debuting as an amateur in October. She suffered setbacks in her first two bouts, but made adjustments and has since put together back-to-back victories. This past weekend, the 27-year-old Michigan native dispatched of Ashley Shaw. Collins now takes a significant step up in competition to face Goodlaxson, but she has shown improvement in each of her two victories and ring rust will not be a factor.
United Fight League: “March Madness” takes place on March 31st at the Stonegate Banquet Centre in Davison, Michigan. The card is also expected to feature at least four men’s title bouts.