Alexa Grasso
Grasso in 2023
Born (1993-08-09) August 9, 1993 (age 30)
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st)
DivisionStrawweight (2012–2020)
Flyweight (2020–present)[1]
Reach66 in (168 cm)[2]
StyleBoxing, BJJ
TeamLobo Gym
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[3]
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins16
By knockout4
By submission2
By decision10
Losses3
By submission1
By decision2
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Alexa Grasso (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist who competes in the women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. She is also a UFC analyst for UFC Español for Spanish broadcasts.[4] As of June 20, 2023, she is ranked #1 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.[5]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Grasso made her professional MMA debut in December 2012 in her native Mexico. During the first eighteen months of her career, she amassed an undefeated record of 5 wins (3 by TKO, 2 by decision) and 0 losses.[6]

Invicta FC

After taking a year away from the sport, Grasso made her Invicta FC debut on September 6, 2014, against Ashley Cummins at Invicta FC 8. She won the fight via unanimous decision.[7]

In her second fight for the promotion, Grasso faced Alida Gray on December 5, 2014, at Invicta FC 10. She won the fight via TKO in the first round.[8]

Grasso next faced Mizuki Inoue on February 27, 2015, in the co-main event at Invicta FC 11. She won the fight by unanimous decision. The bout also earned Grasso her first Fight of the Night bonus award.[9]

Grasso was expected to challenge Livia Renata Souza for the Invicta Strawweight Title at Invicta FC 14 on 12 September 2015 but was forced to withdraw due to injury.[10]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On August 11, 2016, it was announced that Grasso had signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She faced Heather Jo Clark on November 5, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson in Mexico City, Mexico.[11] She won the fight by unanimous decision.[12]

Grasso next faced Felice Herrig on February 4, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 104.[13] She lost the fight by unanimous decision, marking the first defeat in her professional career.[14]

On August 5, 2017, Grasso faced Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno. Grasso suffered from a urinary tract infection and was medically advised to stop cutting weight and be placed on antibiotics, as a result she came in at 119 lbs, three pounds over the strawweight limit and was fined 20% of her purse that went to Markos.[15] The bout proceeded at a catchweight. Grasso won the fight via split decision.[16]

Grasso faced Tatiana Suarez on May 19, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 129.[17] She lost the fight via a rear-naked choke in round one.[18]

Grasso was scheduled to face Angela Hill on August 25, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 135.[19] However, Grasso was pulled out from the bout on July 19, 2018, due to knee injury.[20]

Grasso was expected to face Marina Rodriguez on February 2, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 144.[21] However, it was reported on December 17, 2018, that Rodriguez pulled out of the event due to a hand injury.[22] The pair was rescheduled to UFC on ESPN 2.[23] However, on March 22, 2019, it was reported Grasso was injured and she was replaced by Jessica Aguilar.[24]

Grasso faced Karolina Kowalkiewicz on June 8, 2019, at UFC 238.[25] She won the fight by unanimous decision.[26]

Grasso faced Carla Esparza on September 21, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 17.[27] She lost the fight by majority decision.[28] This fight earned her the Fight of the Night award.[29]

Grasso was scheduled to face Cláudia Gadelha on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246.[30] However, on the day of the weigh-ins, Grasso weighed in at 121.5, 5.5 pounds over the non-title strawweight limit of 116 lbs. The NSAC decided to remove the fight because competitors are not allowed to compete if the weight between them is over 3 pounds.[31] In a statement released just hours after the weigh-ins, Grasso apologized for missing weight, and declared she will now be fighting at flyweight.[32]

Move up to flyweight

Grasso was scheduled to face Ji Yeon Kim on June 27, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker.[33] However, due to travel restrictions for both fighters due to COVID-19 pandemic, the bout was rescheduled on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175.[34] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[35]

Grasso faced Maycee Barber on February 13, 2021, at UFC 258.[36] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[37]

Grasso was scheduled to face Joanne Wood on November 20, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 198.[38] However, Grasso was forced to pull out from the event due to injury and she was replaced by Taila Santos.[39]

Grasso was expected to face Viviane Araújo on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270.[40] However, Araújo was forced to pull out from the event due to injury,[41] and the bout was cancelled.[42]

Grasso faced Joanne Wood in a re-scheduled bout on March 26, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 33.[43] She won the fight via a rear-naked choke in the first round.[44]

Grasso was rescheduled to face Viviane Araújo on August 13, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 41.[45] However, the bout was cancelled due to Grasso's visa issues.[46] The pair was yet again rescheduled on October 15, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 212.[47] Grasso won the fight via unanimous decision.[48]

UFC Women's Flyweight Champion

Grasso faced Valentina Shevchenko on March 4, 2023, for the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship at UFC 285.[49] Despite being a heavy underdog, she won the bout and earned the title via a face crank in the fourth round.[50] This made her the first Mexican UFC women’s champion.[51] The win earned Grasso her first Performance of the Night bonus award.[52]

Grasso made her first title defense in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko on 16 September 2023, at UFC Fight Night 227.[53] The match ended in a split draw.[54]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
20 matches 16 wins 3 losses
By knockout 4 0
By submission 2 1
By decision 10 2
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Draw 16–3–1 Valentina Shevchenko Draw (split) UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 September 16, 2023 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Retained the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship.
Win 16–3 Valentina Shevchenko Submission (face crank) UFC 285 March 4, 2023 4 4:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Won the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. Submission of the Year.
Win 15–3 Viviane Araújo Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Araújo October 15, 2022 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 14–3 Joanne Wood Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus March 26, 2022 1 3:57 Columbus, Ohio, United States
Win 13–3 Maycee Barber Decision (unanimous) UFC 258 February 13, 2021 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 12–3 Kim Ji-yeon Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić August 29, 2020 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Flyweight debut.
Loss 11–3 Carla Esparza Decision (majority) UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens September 21, 2019 3 5:00 Mexico City, Mexico Fight of the Night.
Win 11–2 Karolina Kowalkiewicz Decision (unanimous) UFC 238 June 8, 2019 3 5:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss 10–2 Tatiana Suarez Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman May 19, 2018 1 2:44 Santiago, Chile
Win 10–1 Randa Markos Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno August 5, 2017 3 5:00 Mexico City, Mexico Catchweight (119 lb) bout; Grasso missed weight.
Loss 9–1 Felice Herrig Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie February 4, 2017 3 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 9–0 Heather Jo Clark Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson November 5, 2016 3 5:00 Mexico City, Mexico
Win 8–0 Jodie Esquibel Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 18: Grasso vs. Esquibel July 29, 2016 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 7–0 Mizuki Inoue Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 11: Cyborg vs. Tweet February 27, 2015 3 5:00 Los Angeles, California, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 6–0 Alida Gray TKO (punches) Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio December 5, 2014 1 1:47 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 5–0 Ashley Cummins Decision (unanimous) Invicta FC 8: Waterson vs. Tamada September 6, 2014 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 4–0 Karina Rodríguez Decision (unanimous) Xtreme Kombat 20 August 31, 2014 3 5:00 Izcalli, Mexico
Win 3–0 Alejandra Alvarez TKO (punches and knees) Xtreme Kombat 20 August 31, 2014 1 0:36 Izcalli, Mexico
Win 2–0 Lupita Hernandez KO (punch) Fight Hard Championship 3 May 11, 2013 1 0:12 Jalisco, Mexico
Win 1–0 Sandra del Rincon KO (punch) GEX: Old Jack's Fight Night December 19, 2012 1 0:15 Jalisco, Mexico

[65]

See also

References

  1. ^ Farah Hannoun (March 13, 2020). "Alexa Grasso moves up to flyweight, faces Ji Yeon Kim at UFC Austin". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-29. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  3. ^ Sabrina Phillips (May 30, 2023). "UFC Champion Alexa Grasso Promoted To BJJ Brown Belt". JitsMagazine.com.
  4. ^ Drumpe (2022-02-09). "Alexa Grasso was inspired by Gina Carano to become a fighter — 'I knew then that I wanted to do this'". Drumpe (in French). Archived from the original on 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  5. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  6. ^ Sherdog.com. "Alexa Grasso MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  7. ^ "Alexa grasso's shining debut at invicta fc". Vice. Archived from the original on 2015-02-19. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  8. ^ Sanchez, Josh (5 December 2014). "Invicta FC 10 Results: Alexa Grasso TKOs Alida Gray In Round 1". fansided.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. ^ Sanchez, Josh (28 February 2015). "Invicta FC 11 results: Alexa Grasso edges Mizuki Inoue in entertaining fight". fansided.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  10. ^ Raimondi, Marc (2015-07-10). "Alexa Grasso to challenge Livia Renata Souza for strawweight title at Invicta FC 14". MMA Fighting. MMA Fighting. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  11. ^ "Alexa Grasso makes UFC debut against Heather Jo Clark in Mexico City". 2016-08-11. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  12. ^ "TUF Latin America 3 Finale: dos Anjos vs. Ferguson". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  13. ^ Robert Morast. "UFC Fight Night in Houston: 'Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung battles Dennis Bermudez to headline card". chron. Archived from the original on 2016-12-04. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  14. ^ Bohn, Mike (5 February 2017). "Twitter reacts to Felice Herrig's upset of Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night 104". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Video: Alexa Grasso misses weight for UFC Fight Night 114 co-headliner with Randa Markos". MMAjunkie. 2017-08-04. Archived from the original on 2017-08-06. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  16. ^ Segura, Danny (5 August 2017). "Alexa Grasso explains tough lessons she learned from first pro loss against Felice Herrig". mmafighting.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  17. ^ "UFC officially announces May 19 event in Chile, five bouts". MMA Fighting. Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  18. ^ "UFC Fight Night 129 results: Tatiana Suarez steamrolls Alexa Grasso, earns first-round submission". MMAjunkie. 2018-05-20. Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  19. ^ "Angela Hill Vs. Alexa Grasso Added To UFC Fight Night 135 In Nebraska". MMAmania.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  20. ^ "Knee injury forced Alexa Grasso out of UFC Lincoln; surgery not required". MMAjunkie. 2018-07-20. Archived from the original on 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  21. ^ Guilherme Cruz (2018-11-29). "Six fights added to UFC Fortaleza, including Demian Maia vs. Lyman Good". mmafighting.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  22. ^ Cruz, Guilherme (2018-12-17). "Marina Rodriguez injured, out of UFC Fortaleza fight with Alexa Grasso". mmafighting. Archived from the original on 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
  23. ^ Raphael Marinho. "Após estrear no UFC com empate, Marina Rodriguez encara Alexa Grasso no dia 30 de março". sportv.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  24. ^ DNA, MMA. "Jessica Aguilar vervangt Alexa Grasso tegen Marina Rodriguez tijdens UFC Philadelphia". Archived from the original on 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  25. ^ "Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Alexa Grasso booked for UFC 238". MMA Junkie. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  26. ^ "UFC 238 results: Alexa Grasso batters Karolina Kowalkiewicz for unanimous decision". MMA Junkie. 2019-06-09. Archived from the original on 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  27. ^ "Carla Esparza vs. Alexa Grasso booked for UFC Mexico City in September". WMMA Rankings. 2019-07-08. Archived from the original on 2019-07-08. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  28. ^ "UFC on ESPN+ 17 results: Carla Esparza edges Alexa Grasso after armbar scare". MMA Junkie. 2019-09-22. Archived from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  29. ^ a b Fernando Quiles Jr (2019-09-22). "UFC Mexico City Bonuses & Attendance Revealed • MMA News". MMA News. Archived from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  30. ^ DNA, MMA. "Claudia Gadelha treft Alexa Grasso tijdens UFC 246 in Las Vegas". Archived from the original on 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  31. ^ Lee, Alexander K. "Alexa Grasso misses weight for UFC 246 by over five pounds, bout with Claudia Gadelha canceled". MMAFighting.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Alexa Grasso issues statement after UFC 246 weight miss, headed to flyweight division". MMAFighting.com. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  33. ^ Farah Hannoun (2020-03-13). "Alexa Grasso moves up to flyweight, faces Ji Yeon Kim at UFC Austin". MMA Junkie. Archived from the original on 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  34. ^ Staff (2020-06-13). "Ji Yeon Kim and Alexa Grasso re-booked for the August 29 event". mmadna.nl. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-15. (in Dutch)
  35. ^ Anderson, Jay (2020-08-29). "UFC Vegas 8 Results: Alexa Grasso Successful in Move to Flyweight, Beats Ji Yeon Kim". Cageside Press. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  36. ^ DNA, MMA (2020-11-11). "Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 13 februari 2021". MMA DNA. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  37. ^ Doherty, Dan (2021-02-14). "UFC 258 Results: Alexa Grasso Wins Exciting Fight Over Maycee Barber". Cageside Press. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  38. ^ DNA, MMA (2021-08-03). "Joanne Calderwood vs. Alexa Grasso toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 20 november". MMA DNA. Archived from the original on 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  39. ^ DNA, MMA (2021-10-08). "Taila Santos vervangt Alexa Grasso tegen Joanne Calderwood tijdens UFC evenement op 20 november". MMA DNA. Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  40. ^ Dorff, Marcel (2021-10-19). "Viviane Araújo vs. Alexa Grasso toegevoegd aan UFC 270 op 22 januari". MMA DNA. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  41. ^ Sherdog.com. "UFC 270 Loses Warlley Alves, Viviane Araujo From Preliminary Card". Sherdog. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  42. ^ "Alexa Grasso pulled from UFC 270 following Viviane Araujo's injury". MMA Junkie. 2022-01-08. Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  43. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2022-01-12). "Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grasso, Matheus Nicolau vs. David Dvorak added to UFC Columbus". MMA Fighting. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  44. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-03-26). "UFC Columbus: Alexa Grasso Submits Joanne Wood For Biggest Win Yet". Cageside Press. Archived from the original on 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  45. ^ Sherdog.com. "Alexa Grasso Rebooked Against Viviane Araujo at Aug. 13 UFC Fight Night". Sherdog. Archived from the original on 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  46. ^ "Alexa Grasso out of UFC on ESPN 41; co-main event vs. Viviane Araujo off". MMA Junkie. 2022-08-03. Archived from the original on 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  47. ^ "Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 8-14)". MMA Junkie. 2022-08-15. Archived from the original on 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  48. ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-10-15). "UFC Vegas 62: Alexa Grasso's Standup the Difference in Decision Over Viviane Araujo". Cageside Press. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  49. ^ "Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso title fight added to UFC 285". MMA Junkie. 2023-01-18. Archived from the original on 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  50. ^ Jay Anderson (2023-03-05). "UFC 285: Alexa Grasso defies the odds, submits Valentina Shevchenko to capture flyweight gold". Cageside Press. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  51. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-05.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  52. ^ a b Matt Erickson (2023-03-05). "UFC 285 bonuses: New champs among $50,000 winners in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  53. ^ "Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 UFC flyweight title rematch set for September". MMA Junkie. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  54. ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-09-17). "Noche UFC: Nail-biter Sees Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko Ruled a Draw". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  55. ^ UFC Staff (December 21, 2023). "The Submissions - 2023 UFC.com Awards". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  56. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (December 20, 2023). "The Upsets - 2023 UFC.com Awards". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  57. ^ "UFC 238: Cejudo vs Moraes". Fight Metric. Fight Metric. Archived from the original on 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  58. ^ "MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for February (With full fight video): Grasso and Inoue". 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  59. ^ "MMA Junkie's 2023 Female Fighter of the Year: Alexa Grasso". MMA Junkie. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  60. ^ Sherdog.com. "Sherdog's 2023 Submission of the Year". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  61. ^ MMAFighting.com. "MMA Fighting's 2023 Submission of the Year: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  62. ^ Staff. "MMA 2023 Year in Review: Fighter of the Year". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  63. ^ Staff. "MMA 2023 Year in Review: Submission of the Year". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  64. ^ a b c Bryan Tucker (2023-12-14). "World MMA Awards 2023 Results". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  65. ^ Sherdog.com. "Alexa Grasso MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2019-09-23.

External links

Awards and achievements Preceded byValentina Shevchenko 3rd UFC Women's Flyweight Champion March 4, 2023 - present Incumbent
Ultimate Fighting Championship current champions
UFC Women's Flyweight Champions
UFC Women's Flyweight Rankings
Categories