UFC Mexico City Adds Carla Esparza vs. Alexa Grasso

Carla Esparza UFC 249
Carla Esparza Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

With both fighters looking to build win streaks, Alexa Grasso will face former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza at UFC Mexico City in September.

The UFC is returning to Mexico City in September, and it seems the card has found its first fight. On Monday, Carla Esparza revealed on Instagram that she’d be fighting Alexa Grasso at the event. The former strawweight champ’s post confirms an earlier report by Mexico’s Mileno, who broke news of the fight over the weekend.

Esparza, of course, won the inaugural women’s strawweight championship in the UFC, capturing it at The Ultimate Fighter 20 finale, winning the season in the process. She’d lose the title in her first defense, however, to Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Ironically, the woman Esparza beat to win the title, Rose Namajunas, would go on to dethrone Jedrzejczyk, proving yet again that MMA math doesn’t work.

In any case, the 31-year old Esparza (14-6) snapped a two fight losing streak with a win over Virna Jandiroba in April. The ‘Cookie Monster,’ also a former Invicta FC strawweight champ, will now look to make it two straight wins against Grasso.

Grasso (11–2), meanwhile, picked up her most recent win in June at UFC 238, where she earned a unanimous decision over ex-title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She’s 3-2 in the UFC, after entering the promotion undefeated.

UFC Mexico City (UFC Fight Night 159) takes place September 21 at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, Mexico.