Juan Puerta (21-6) vs. Lloyd McKinney (14-7)
Combate’s latest transformation from Combate Americas to Combate Global has been accompanied by a regular set of late-night events. The latest, dubbed “Superfly,” features an interesting flyweight scrap between Juan Puerta and Lloyd McKinney.
The 33-year-old Puerta made his pro debut in a losing effort in 2011, and he ultimately went just 3-3 through his first six fights. Of course, the American Top Team Atlanta product’s record has improved since then. He reeled off five straight wins before suffering a knockout loss courtesy of Johnny Campbell. Another three victories followed, but then Puerta hit a rough patch in which he dropped back-to-back fights against Darren Mima and Jared Scoggins. Yet again, he has gotten back on track with 10 consecutive wins, including a finish of Gustavo Balart, a title victory over Kazbek Ashimov, and a decision nod over veteran Claudio Ledesma. Overall, “Leadfeather” has 11 submission finishes
Paweł Pawlak (17-4-1) vs. Sergey Guzev (20-3)
Poland’s Babilon MMA returns with its 21st show on Friday. The lineup consists primarily of inexperienced upstarts, but the headliner is a pairing of veterans with gold on the line. Middleweight kingpin and UFC veteran Paweł Pawlak attempts to defend his crown when he meets Ukraine’s Sergey Guzev.
Pawlak’s short-lived UFC stint came in 2014-15. “Plastinho” entered the big show with a perfect record through 10 pro outings, but the Octagon proved to be a reality check. Pawlak lasted just over a year in the organization and only managed one win in three appearances. The victory came via decision over Sheldon Westcott, but it was sandwiched between losses to Peter Sobotta and future UFC title contender Leon Edwards. After two fights and just one win with Poland’s Fight Exclusive Night promotion, Pawlak settled in as a fixture for Babilon MMA. He has gone 5-1-1 over his last seven fights with only one foray outside of the compa