UFC flyweight Taila Santos will replace Alexa Grasso against Joanne Calderwood in high stakes fight on November 20.
A high stakes flyweight fight has experienced a major shake up. Per ESPN, Alexa Grasso has been forced to withdraw from her bout with Joanne Calderwood on November 20. That has resulted in surging contender Taila Santos stepping into the bout.
No reason for Grasso’s withdrawal was given.
Calderwood (15-6) is looking to once again secure a possible shot at the flyweight championship as she remains one of the few top ranked contenders to have not faced reigning powerhouse Valentina Shevchenko. Calderwood had previously secured a title fight in 2020, but elected to take another fight as opposed to waiting for the champion, who was on the mend. It would prove costly as Calderwood lost the bout and her title shot and was forced to regroup. She defeated Jessica Eye in January but dropped a split-decision in another title eliminator to Lauren Murphy this past June.
Santos (18-1) is looking to announce herself as a top contender at flyweight after putting together a 3-1 run in the UFC since joining the promotion through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018. After dropping her promotional debut to Mara Borella, went reeled off consecutive victories against Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson, and Roxanne Modafferi. The fight with Modafferi took place roughly two weeks ago, making this a quick return to camp for Santos.
The UFC’s November 20 Fight Night event is scheduled to be headlined by the rescheduled bantamweight fight between former champion Miesha Tate and perennial contender Ketlen Vieira. The event is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
