Sandra Lavado Record: 12-5-0

Climbing the regional ranks

Lavado’s rise wasn’t without setbacks. She twice came up short against Karla Sanchez Lozano by decision – first in November 2018, then again in November 2019 – but kept finding her way back into the win column. A December 2019 decision over the experienced Lina Franco at Combate’s Copa Combate event signaled she could hang with established international competition. Through 2021 she added decision wins over Germania Lascano and Sherlyn Sánchez, cementing her standing as a fixture in the Fusion Fighting Championship promotion.

Stepping onto the big stage

Lavado’s pursuit of the elite ranks took her to the sport’s biggest proving grounds. In August 2022 she dropped a decision to Karolina Wójcik on the Contender Series, then rebounded with a decision win over Ana Martinez at FFC 56 in December. In February 2023 she fell by decision to Shanna Young on the PFL Challenger Series, but answered with a decision win over the highly regarded Gabriela Campo. Her most prominent bout came in August 2023, when she challenged former UFC flyweight Sabina Mazo for the LFA flyweight title at LFA 164. Mazo took a unanimous decision, but the main-event billing underscored Lavado’s status as a genuine South American standout.

Fighting style

Lavado is a grappling-based fighter who wins through control and submissions rather than power – she has no knockouts on her record, instead pairing four submissions with eight decision wins for a 33% finish rate. Her jiu-jitsu pedigree shows in her armbar and kneebar finishes, and her cardio and pace earn her the “Zombie” nickname. The honest weakness is closing the gap against elite competition: all five of her losses have come by decision, a pattern that points to a fighter who stays competitive and durable but has struggled to outpoint the division’s very best over five rounds.

Career highlights

• Top women’s prospect from Peru — Lavado emerged as one of the most accomplished female mixed martial artists her country has produced, backed by a decorated jiu-jitsu pedigree.
• LFA title challenge — she headlined LFA 164 against former UFC flyweight Sabina Mazo for the promotion’s 125-pound crown, the biggest stage of her career.
• Submission-savvy debut run — her early career featured armbar and kneebar finishes that immediately marked her as a dangerous grappler on the regional scene.