Local MMA star Granger wins UFC debut by unanimous decision

NEWARK, N.J. — The stage was a bit brighter on Saturday, but the result was the same for Snohomish County native Miranda Granger.

Granger, making her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, beat Hannah Goldy by unanimous decision after three rounds in a flyweight bout at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

“This is a dream come true,” Granger said in a post-fight interview. “I think this is where I belong and I’m ready to show the world what I’m really about.”

The 5-foot-7-inch Granger used her height and reach advantage to frustrate the 5-foot-4 Goldy throughout the match. Granger, who had won five of her first six professional fights by submission, wasn’t able to get Goldy to the mat, but instead won by landing 95 strikes to her opponent’s 63, according to the fight stats from ESPN.

“I expected it. She’s not very aggressive,” Granger said. “She circles the cage a lot, so (I was) trying to get my timing down and get my strikes in when I saw fit.”

Granger, who attended Glacier Peak High School and was The Herald’s 2018-19 Woman of the Year in Sports, improved to 7-0 in her pro career despite fighting up a weight class and taking the match on less than two weeks notice after being signed by UFC.

“I’m very excited. Hopefully I get to fight at strawweight (115 pounds) next, that’s my fight weight,” Granger said. “… It wasn’t terrible that it was at 125, but when they called I was ready.”