A pair of top 10 women’s flyweight fighters will collide in January at UFC 270.
Meni Mayer of MMA Ideas was first to report the news that No. 7 ranked flyweight Viviane Araujo will fight No. 10 Alex Grasso on January 22 at the PPV event. A source close to the situation subsequently confirmed the fight to Cageside Press.
Araujo (10-3) had her two-fight win streak snapped at UFC 262 when she lost a unanimous decision against Katlyn Chookagian. Before her recent loss, the Brazilain defeated Roxanne Modafferi and Montana De La Rosa dominantly. Araujo is 4-2 in the UFC.
After alternating wins and losses, Grasso (13-3) has finally hit her stride in her new weight class. The Mexican fighter is riding the first two-fight win streak of her UFC career. She defeated Ji Yeon Kim in her flyweight debut via unanimous decision in her only fight in 2020, and then earlier this year defeated Maycee Barber via unanimous decision. Grasso was scheduled to face Joanne Calderwood next month; however, an injury forced her out of the fight.
With the flyweight division being wide open, a win for either fighter could potentially set them up with a title fight.
No location, venue, or broadcast plan has been announced for UFC 270. However, the unification heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane is expected to headline, as well as the trilogy bout between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.
The first Ultimate Fighting Championship PPV card of 2022 looks like this so far:
- Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane – for the UFC heavyweight title
- Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – for the UFC flyweight title
- Jarred Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
- Greg Hardy vs. Aleksei Oleinik
- Rodolfo Vieira vs. Wellington Turman
- Ji Yeon Kim vs. Poliana Botelho
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Cody Stamann
- Michael Morales vs. Trevin Giles
- Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
- Viviane Araújo vs. Alexa Grasso
