Miranda Granger had a short night at the office Saturday and went home with some new hardware.
But if she has her way in the near future, she might not be hanging onto that hardware for long.
Granger (6-0) needed just 41 seconds to finish Heloisa Azevedo (4-2) with a standing guillotine choke in the CFFC 75 main event. In the process, Granger won the promotion’s inaugural women’s strawweight title in a bout streamed on UFC Fight Pass from Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, Calif.
But afterward, she was told by commentator and former WWE star and two-fight UFC veteran CM Punk that she had won something perhaps even bigger: a shot at the UFC via Dana White’s Contenders Series.
Granger, from Washington state, will compete on an installment of that show later this year against an opponent to be determined. An impressive enough win in front of UFC president Dana White could mean a UFC contract.
The win was Granger’s second under the CFFC banner. This past December, she submitted DWCS veteran Jamie Colleen in the first round at CFFC 71.
Granger kept her perfect run intact against Azevedo, from Brazil. All six of her pro wins are by stoppage, including five in the first round and five by submission. She also went 10-0 on the amateur circuit before turning pro midway through 2017.
Before Saturday’s fight, Granger told MMA Junkie she thought she might get a shot at the next level with a win.
“I definitely feel like (getting a UFC deal) is a possibility, but I’m taking one fight at a time,” Granger said. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to be disappointed in myself. If it never happens, I’m not going to be disappointed in myself. I’m living out my dream and what I love to do every single day. Obviously, I would love to be there. That’s the top place. I think it’s a possibility, but right now my sights are just set on this fight.”
And with a relatively smooth and easy 41-second win in the books, now Granger can set her sights on the UFC.
For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
