Sara Cabeza de Vaca is stepping into a new arena on Sept. 26, when she makes her professional mixed martial arts debut against Ludumila Scurco at WOW 32 in Seville, Spain, according to reporting from Sport. The Spanish fighter enters the professional ranks carrying an amateur background built across multiple disciplines, highlighted by a standout 2025 circuit in the Amateur Fighting League (AFL) where she secured two victories and earned recognition as the circuit’s fighter of the year, as reported by El Portal 24.
Transitioning from Olympic Automatism to Mixed Martial Arts
The path from traditional martial arts to the cage required shedding years of sports conditioning. Born in Badajoz, Extremadura, Cabeza de Vaca began her combat sports journey with taekwondo at age 11, pushed by her parents after an early stint in karate with her sister did not stick, according to Sport. She advanced through regional and national competitions, claiming a Extremadura title and competing in G1 and G2 international tournaments that awarded world and Olympic ranking points while training at the Sánchez Elez gym in Madrid.
That trajectory shifted after she suffered a broken nose at a European championship. Combined with personal family circumstances and university studies, she stepped away from taekwondo. Seeking an outlet, she moved into boxing, muay thai, and kempo before finding her way to MMA, as detailed by El Portal 24 and Sport. Moving between sports meant unlearning scoring habits honed on mats. «There are things from taekwondo that I have had to remove, of course, because it is not the same, you do not have to score points,» Cabeza de Vaca explained to El Portal 24. «Here it is different, here you look to do damage, you look for a knockout.»
Building Ground Competence and International Experience
Adapting to the total discipline of the cage meant starting nearly from scratch, particularly in grappling and ground control. «Above all, the work, the floor, having a person on top of you, that continuous body contact,» Cabeza de Vaca told El Portal 24 regarding her early struggles in MMA gyms. Her preparation for the professional ranks also included a month-long training camp in Las Vegas, which featured sessions at the UFC Performance Institute, according to Sport.
Despite logging only two official amateur bouts before taking the professional leap, Cabeza de Vaca views her mature physical and mental state as an asset rather than a deficit. «I am not a 20-year-old girl, the pace is completely different. So I do have to accelerate the process much more and take advantage of the fact that I am now very physically fit and very mentally mature,» she reflected to El Portal 24.
A Striking Showdown at WOW 32
In Seville, Cabeza de Vaca will face Ludumila Scurco, bringing an 0-0 professional record into the bout, as reported by Sport. Anticipating the matchup against an opponent with a muay thai background, Cabeza de Vaca expects an explosive contest. «I know she is a striker, that she also comes from muay thai, that she is very warrior-like, she pushes forward. So I do think it is going to be quite a visual fight, a clash of styles,» she noted to El Portal 24.
Looking past her upcoming debut, the Extremeian fighter intends to take her career step by step while maintaining boundless personal goals. «I want to reach as high as possible,» she stated, outlining a plan to secure two professional victories before the year concludes if her body permits.
WOW 32 takes place on Sept. 26 in Seville, marking the official opening of Cabeza de Vaca’s professional chapter.
Keep reading
