Alexa Grasso set for flyweight return against surging contender at UFC 315
19/02/2025 01:48
Former UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso has a tall task in front of her in her first fight since losing the belt.
Alexa Grasso is in a peculiar spot in the UFC flyweight division’s title picture. After a trilogy loss to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 306, Grasso returned to the role of title contender, and will reportedly face a flyweight on one of the best runs in the division.
Grasso topped up a previously unbeaten run in the UFC flyweight division with a fourth-round submission victory over Shevchenko at UFC 285. She rallied from an early hole to tap out Shevchenko with a face crank to bring the star’s long title reign to a screeching halt.
Grasso and Shevchenko fought to a split draw in their rematch in Sept. 2023. After coaching opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter, Grasso and Shevchenko battled in an immediate trilogy at UFC 306, with Shevchenko walking away with a unanimous decision victory.
After her three straight fights with Shevchenko, Grasso will face a new challenge for the first time since 2022.
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Alexa Grasso to face rising contender on a 12-fight winning streak
As reported by Sportsnet, a women’s flyweight bout between Grasso and UFC-unbeaten Natália Silva is booked for the promotion’s return to Canada for UFC 315 in Montreal. Grasso vs. Silva adds to a building card on May 10th, which as of this writing, has yet to have a main event named/booked.
This will easily be the toughest test of Silva’s career amidst a 12-fight winning streak in her career. Silva is 6-0 in the UFC Octagon with recent wins over Andrea Lee, Viviane Araujo, and former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
Silva wasn’t lacking confidence following her most recent win over Andrade. While her callout of Maycee Barber didn’t lead to a fight booking, she encouraged the matchmakers to ‘send that belt’ in a nod to the division’s top contenders.
Alexa Grasso’s return comes as UFC ponders potential flyweight superfight
The Grasso vs. Silva winner could potentially be next in line for a flyweight title shot. But UFC strawweight Zhang Weili‘s potential move up a division to face Shevchenko complicates the flyweight title picture.
UFC CEO Dana White admitted after Weili’s UFC 312 win that he ‘loved’ the idea of booking Shevchenko vs. Weili next. But Manon Fiorot is arguably the most deserving of the next title shot after recent wins over Rose Namajunas, Erin Blanchfield, and Jennifer Maia.
Weili defeated previously unbeaten strawweight Tatiana Suarez in the UFC 312 co-main event earlier this month. After Suarez, there aren’t a lot of top strawweight contenders who make a strong case for a title shot.
If Shevchenko vs. Weili is the UFC’s next targeted flyweight title bout, the Grasso vs. Silva winner will make a strong case for a title shot. In the meantime, Grasso vs. Silva promises fireworks between two of the most dynamic strikers in women’s MMA.
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