If you didn’t know María Paula Buzaglo (1-1), you might think that she’s a bikini model, given how much time the 19-year-old woman from Peru spends at the beach.  Don’t be fooled by the sand and the sun, though; Buzaglo is a fierce fighter who is looking to make a name for herself in Combate Americas‘ first event in Peru.

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Buzaglo‘s father took her to her first Muay Thai class right before she turned fifteen.  Her talent and her dedication quickly propelled her to become a juvenile world champion of the International Federation Of Muaythai Amateur  (IFMA). After reaching the top in amateur Muay Thai competitions,  Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) caught María Paula’s attention, which led her to begin to practice other sports such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling.

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The Peruvian fighter began her MMA career in mid-2017 as an amateur, winning a second round TKO victory against Sadie Hubbard.  This victory led her to make the decision to become a professional later that next year. In March of 2018, she made her professional debut, ironically, against the same fighter she had defeated in her amateur debut. History repeated itself, and Buzaglo won with a rear naked choke in the very first round.

Maria Buzaglo entering the Combate Americas’ “jaula” for the first time

Buzaglo continued training and improving as a martial artist and attracted the attention of Combate Americas. Unfortunately, in her first fight with the promotion, Buzaglo lost to Corina Herrera, a much more experienced fighter, but she is looking for a victory over her next opponent in Combate Peru: Alitzel Mariscal (2-0).

Besides being the only women on the main card of Combate Peru, Buzaglo and Mariscal share another trait; they both have boyfriends who also are mixed martial artists. Buzaglo’s boyfriend is the renowned Peruvian fighter Humberto Bandenay, who she trains with on the Pro Fighting Peru (PFP) team and who supports her constantly in all of her fights.

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Mariscal, Buzaglo’s opponent, is a young rising star in Combate Americas who is currently undefeated with a 2-0 record. This fight is the perfect opportunity for Buzaglo to show off at home, and for her to take a giant leap forward in her career if she manages to defeat one of the most promising fighters in the division.

And while Buzaglo looks at home on the beach, she’s a well-rounded fighter with unique skills that may make her become equally at home in “La Jaula.”

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Combate Peru will take place at Coliseo Manuel Bonilla in Lima, Peru, and will be broadcast exclusively in English in the United States and Canada by DAZN (12am E, 11pm C, 9pm PAC), as well as Univision (12am E, 11pm C) and Univisión Deportes (12am E, 11pm C, 9pm PAC).