Efrain Escudero vs. Luis Palomino added to next week's CFA 12 event in Florida

A lightweight matchup between “The Ultimate Fighter 8? winner Efrain Escudero (20-7) and former Championship Fighting Alliance featherweight champ Luis Palomino (21-8) has been added to next week’s CFA 12 event.

CFA officials recently announced the bout will serve as the co-main event of CFA 12, which takes place Oct. 12 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The evening’s main card, which also features four title fights, airs on AXS TV.

“These are two veterans that will deliver a knockout performance,” Championship Fighting Alliance CEO Jorge de la Noval said. “Palomino is coming off a victory, while Escudero has back-to-back wins. The winner of this fight can really make a major statement in the sport, so a lot is on the line for both of these athletes.”

A seven-time UFC veteran, Escudero was released from the promotion in 2010, but went 5-1 on the regional scene and earned his return to the promotion. Things didn’t go as planned, and back-to-back losses to the Mac Danzig and Jaconb Volkmann saw his second UFC run come to an end. Escudero would wind up losing four-straight fights but has since bounced back with a pair of decision wins.

Meanwhile, Palomino in January fell short against Luiz Firmino in a bid for the CFA lightweight belt. He’s since rebounded with a first-round knockout of Robert Washington and is now 5-1 in his past six fights.

Other changes to the card include Torrance Taylor (13-7-1) stepping in for Emanuel “E.J.” Brooks (7-1) to face Yoisdenis Cedeno (8-2) for the vacant CFA flyweight belt.

Additionally, CFA interim featherweight champion Sean Soriano (8-0) has been diagnosed with a staph infection, and a planned bout with Peter Grimes (12-8) has been scratched. Instead, Valdir Araujo (13-4) will meet Romario Manoel da Silva (23-10-1) with CFA’s vacant welterweight title on the line.

With the changes to the card, CFA 12 now includes:

• Joshua Sampo vs. Sam Thao – for CFA flyweight title
• Efrain Escudero vs. Luis Palomino
• Valdir Araujo vs. Romario Manoel da Silva – for vacant CFA welterweight title
• Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Fallon Fox – women’s featherweight tournament final
• Yoisdenis Cedeno vs. Torrance Taylor – for vacant CFA lightweight title

For the latest on Championship Fighting Alliance 12, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Efrain Escudero)