Las Vegas, NV — Alexa Grasso is back at flyweight this weekend, taking on another much-hyped prospect in the 125 division. That would be Maycee Barber, in a fight that is serving as the PPV card’s co-main event. Over the likes of former title challenger and TUF winner Kelvin Gastelum, for one.
It’s a sign of where the UFC sees the pair. But for Grasso, well, she’s just happy to be coming off a victory in her new home.
“I was very happy with my first win at 125. I feel healthier, I feel happier of course, and I’m enjoying this a lot more.” It’s a permanent move, the former strawweight also confirmed during the UFC 258 media day on Wednesday.
Grasso (12-3) picked up that win over Ji Yeon Kim back in August. Now, she gets the widely ballyhooed Barber — and Grasso believes the hype is deserved, at least in a sense. “We all deserve the hype,” she said Wednesday.
As to her new home, “I feel like this is a new, complete weight for me,” Grasso stated. “I feel like this, starting from zero, getting my name again in this division. Alexa Strawweight, I think this has to end. It’s a new Alexa, a new division, a new year, a new everything.” In short, she’s just find with starting from scratch. Building her name back up in her new weight class.
Grasso is one of the few Mexican-born fighters still training at home. Working in her gym, alongside fellow female fighters like Alejandra Lara, “it’s more real” than training with men, who at times have to restrain themselves. “So it’s nice to be around very well-rounded teammates.”
In continuing to train at home, Grasso has found inspiration in Brandon Moreno, and his recent title shot at UFC 256. A fight that ended in a draw with champ Deiveson Figueiredo. “Of course it’s inspiring. Because mostly, people say ‘you have to go to the U.S., you have to change, you have to go, you have to go,'” noted Grasso. “But to me, it’s very important to represent my country, to hustle every day in my country, train there. Of course Brandon told us ‘hey we can do this, we can get to the belt.'”
Watch the full UFC 258 media day press scrum with Alexa Grasso above. The event takes place this Saturday, February 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
