Alexa Grasso Puts on Convincing Show at Noche UFC, Puts Pressure on 332 Main Event Winner

Alexa Grasso (18-5-1 MMA, 10-5-1 UFC) entered Saturday's Noche UFC in Glendale, AZ as the No. 3 contender in the women's flyweight division. Back in 2023, she won the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship with a fourth-round submission (face crank) over Valentina Shevchenko.

This submission victory necessitated a rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko in September of 2023 during the initial Noche UFC. That night's end result was a split draw, giving Grasso her first defense of the title.

A year later, Grasso and Shevchenko fought in a trilogy bout, with the latter wresting the title away by unanimous decision. Upon Grasso knocking out Maycee Barber in March during UFC Seattle, she'd be booked on the Sept. 12 event against Manon Fiorot (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) during the main card. Earlier on in fight week, the stakes were raised.

 

Alexa Grasso Turns in Fantastic Performance en Route to Unanimous Decision Win

With the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship having recently been vacated in the wake of Valentina Shevchenko being injured, this contest between Fiorot, the No. 2 contender and Grasso would become a championship elimination battle. Its victor would guarantee herself a shot at the belt against the winner of the UFC 332 main event next time out.

Not long after the command to fight was given from referee Blake Grice, Alexa Grasso was quick to move in on Manon Fiorot, landing combinations against her. This set the tone of the fight in the early going.

With under two minutes having elapsed from the first-round clock, Grasso had outpaced Fiorot in head strikes by a 15-7 margin. Late in the first round, Grasso landed a crisp right hook on Fiorot to drop her and take top position on the ground.

Alexa Grasso Keeps Foot on the Gas

Although Alexa Grasso only scored one knockdown on Manon Fiorot in the first round of action, it was all she needed to seize momentum in the contest. Through much of the fight, Grasso stuck to her gameplan of boxing first, including a flurry of punches thrown near the end of round two. 

During the third and final period, Grasso put Fiorot in the clinch, something that would prove to be short-lived as Fiorot managed to flip the script and return to the feet. Despite Manon Fiorot narrowly outpacing Alexa Grasso in significant strikes by a 27-24 margin in the final round, it would prove to be much too little, far too late for the former on the day.

Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer revealed that Alexa Grasso secured the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28.)  With this result, her next bout will be fot the title.

Alexa Grasso Can Beat Wang Cong or Natalia Silva

A week ago Saturday during the UFC Paris broadcast, it was officially revealed that No. 1 contender Wang Cong would battle No. 8 contender Natalia Silva for the championship in the UFC 332 main event on the night of Oct. 3. UFC 332 will serve as the first time that a UFC flagship event's main card will air via linear television on CBS.

Even before the Saturday fight between Alexa Grasso and Manon Fiorot was revealed to be a title eliminator, this was a critical contest for Alexa Grasso. With the dust now settled in the aftermath of Noche UFC, we now have some clarity in the title picture at 125.

No matter who Alexa Grasso's next adversary is, be it Cong or Silva, Grasso has a decent chance at coming away victorious. She's that good when the cage door closes, and Saturday night's contest proved it.