A new flyweight contender has arrived and her name is Alexa Grasso.
In her second fight at 125 pounds while competing in the UFC 258 co-main event, Grasso showcased incredible boxing to pick apart Maycee Barber on the feet to ultimately win an unanimous decision. The judges all scored the fight 29-28 in Grasso’s favor as she moves to 2-0 at flyweight while taking out one of the most talked about prospects in the sport.
“I trained so, so hard since the last fight,” Grasso said following the win. “I told you, I’ve been working so, so hard. Every fight I want to show you I’m better and better and better.”
It was a battle of position in the opening round with Barber looking to bully her way inside to work from the clinch while Grasso was showcasing slick boxing with very fast hands. While Barber appeared to be the more physically imposing fighter, Grasso staved off her takedowns and then cracked her with punches whenever she got enough distance to unleash her combinations.
With room to work, Grasso was just picking Barber apart on the feet including a nasty series of shots that had Barber rocked momentarily. While she recovered, Barber was still struggling to deal with Grasso’s dynamic strikes and even when the Contender Series veteran managed to take advantage of a slip that brought the fight to the ground, she ended up defending a flurry of submission attempts.
After likely losing the first two rounds, Barber shifted into desperation mode while attempting to force the finish. Barber got wild on the feet but her ability to walk down Grasso and throw heavy punches allowed her to do her first real damage of the fight. Still, Barber couldn’t really put Grasso into any serious trouble and the sand in the hour glass ran out before she could truly mount a comeback.
As the flyweight division continues to grow and evolve, Grasso is a welcome addition to the weight class, especially with the talent she’s shown in her first two fights at 125 pounds. As for Barber, she’s now dropped two straight after starting her career with eight consecutive wins including three in the UFC.
