As Miranda Granger stood toe to toe with Jamie Colleen following their ceremonial weigh-in Thursday evening at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., her steely expression conveyed just one message:
Though she traveled 3,000 miles to arrive at what most consider a vacation destination, this trip is all business for Granger.
Granger, Snohomish County’s rising female mixed martial arts star, takes the next step in her career when she battles Colleen on Friday night as part of Cage Fury Fighting Championships 71.
This is the first time the 26-yard-old Granger, a Glacier Peak High School graduate who now resides in Arlington, will fight outside Washington. While she’s absorbing all the pomp and circumstance that accompanies traveling for a bout, she says she’s ready for the challenge.
“I’ve had girls come to Washington state to fight me, but this is my first travel experience and I’m excited,” Granger said. “Usually I’m fighting in front of a big hometown crowd, and I’m actually excited to be the one less liked. Maybe I can ruin a couple people’s days. I’d like that.”
Granger is participating in one of 11 fights that are part of CFFC 71, which is headlined by a men’s lightweight championship bout between Damian Norris and Cesar Balmaceda. The Granger-Colleen fight, a strawweight (115 pound) bout scheduled for three five-minute rounds, is one of six that are part of the main card, which begins at 6 p.m. PST and can be watched live via UFC Fight Pass.
Granger, who fights out of Charlie’s Combat Club in Everett, is 4-0 in her professional career and is the current Dominate FC women’s strawweight champion. She’s ranked by Tapology.com as the 51st-best women’s strawweight in the world and the eighth-best female fighter pound for pound in the United States.
Colleen, 33, is a former King of the Cage women’s strawweight champion. She fights out of Renzo Gracie Philly in Philadelphia, has a 4-2 pro record, is ranked 65th in the world among female strawweights by Tapology.com and is ranked 35th pound for pound in the United States.
For Granger, one of the biggest challenges is navigating the change in routine that comes with traveling for a fight. She and her team flew into Philadelphia on Wednesday evening, then went directly from the airport to a nearby Whole Foods to make sure she had healthy food and liquids for preparation and recovery.
The good news for Granger is that she has a strong contingent accompanying her. She said she has about 100 supporters who made the trip to Atlantic City. She also was able to bring her beloved French bulldog, Kala, as the Borgata put her up in a dog-friendly room.
Friday’s event takes place in the Borgata’s event center, which has a capacity of 2,400. Granger said it is “by far” the largest venue she’s ever fought in, and the event is expected to sell out.
Yet despite the enormity of the moment and all the new experiences, Granger said she doesn’t feel much different.
“I have my whole family here, my husband’s here, my dog is here, my coaches are here,” Granger said. “These are the people I see at these times around a fight anyway, so it feels like any other fight.”
Colleen is an experienced fighter who Granger expects to be her toughest opponent to date.
“I know that she has some powerful hands, she likes to strike, she’s twitchy and explosive, and she’s a fighter,” Granger said. “I’ve fought some girls who just fight to compete and some girls who are fighters at the core. I think she’s a fighter at the core.
“I feel like most of my fights have ended fairly quickly, so not a lot of people have seen everything I can bring to the table. I’m looking forward to an opponent who will force me into the later rounds, where I’ll have to get creative and show more of what I’ve got. I think it will be a very well-matched fight.”
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