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Alexa
Grasso appears to have found a home in the flyweight
division.
The Lobo Gym representative impressed in her 125-pound debut at UFC
Fight Night 175, earning a unanimous verdict against former Deep
Jewels champion Ji Yeon Kim
at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
“The only thing I want to prove clear is that I belong here and I
belong at the top of the division,” Grasso said. “I’m here to prove
that every time I step in the Octagon.”
In a bout that featured a number of spirited exchanges, it was
Grasso’s combination punching and low kicks that won the day. The
27-year-old Mexican outlanded Kim by an 88-to-68 count in
significant strikes and punctuated her victory with a takedown in
the late stages of Round 3.
“I knew she was a tough opponent. She has no expression when you
hit her,” Grasso said. “It’s like you’re doing nothing to her.
She’s so tough. I was expecting that. I knew it was going to be a
good fight. I always push and never move back. This is the fight I
was expecting.”
Grasso experienced mixed results at 115 pounds, posting a 3-3 mark
in the promotion after beginning her professional career with nine
consecutive triumphs. After having a proposed clash with Claudia
Gadelha at UFC 246 canceled due to a failed weight cut and also
missing weight for a proposed strawweight clash with Randa
Markos in 2017, Grasso says she feels much better in her new
division.
“This is a new challenge for me, but I feel very strong and
healthy. I like this division,” she said. “My rehydration, weight
cut and training camp were completely different. I had no injuries
and was able to focus all the time on my performance, getting
better and techniques. I feel amazing in this new weight
class.”
