Texas-based amateur prospects Paulina “Firefox” Granados and Stephanie “The Cyclone” Alba will face off for a second time in a 110-pound title fight at Garcia Promotions: “Cage Combat 12” on December 21st in Humble, Texas. The rematch was officially announced for the card earlier this week.
Both fighters have won back-to-back fights since their first bout in January 2011, which resulted in a Unanimous Decision victory for Granados. She remains unbeaten in her MMA career and hopes to make her pro debut next year if she is able to first capture the Cage Combat title in December.
Granados (3-0-0) has made a quick rise up the amateur ranks since debuting with the win over Alba. In April, she scored her biggest win to date with a Split Decision victory over current Tuff-N-Uff 110-pound champion Jordan McDonald. Granados had hoped to compete for the Tuff-N-Uff title herself, but she was instead forced to watch from the sidelines as promotional officials booked a championship bout between McDonald and Jinh Yu, which McDonald won via Unanimous Decision to earn the vacant belt.
Though frustrated with the Tuff-N-Uff title situation, Granados opted to move on to new opportunities in her career and she will compete at home in Texas for the first time since her Cage Combat promotional debut one year ago. The 24-year-old is one of the most well-rounded female fighters in the amateur ranks today and she now has a chance to claim her first title if she can defeat Alba once again.
Alba (2-1-0) fared well from top position when she was able to take Granados down in the first fight, but Granados’s slick submission attempts and control of the striking exchanges were enough to propel her to victory. Alba has since rebounded with wins in both of her fights this year and she is coming off of a decision victory over Cristina Crist in July. Alba has made significant improvements over the past year looks to make it three-for-three in 2012 by avenging her lone loss in the December rematch. A victory over Granados would immediately establish Alba as a rising star in the division.
Garcia Promotions: “Cage Combat 12” takes place on December 21st at the Humble Civic Center in Humble, Texas. The rematch between Granados and Alba will be contested for the vacant Cage Combat 110-pound women’s title.
(Photo Credit: Lori Rodriguez)