Alexa Grasso Archives - Cageside Press

What’s Next: UFC Seattle Winners

Mathis Desjardins — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:05:46 +0000

Despite an entertaining and fun Apex card earlier this month, UFC Seattle has a legitimate claim as the best event of 2026, thus far. The card had enough of everything to keep the fans talking. It started off with some judging controversy, then had a Bruce Buffer announcement mistake, all while Casey O’Neill, Lance Gibson Jr., Terrance McKinney and more gave us exciting finishes to talk about. The event was then capped off with Joe Pyfer and Alexa Grasso putting on statement performances in relevant matchups at the top of their divisions. With UFC Seattle now in the books, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.

Joe Pyfer

Some will argue about the value of Pyfer’s win on Saturday, considering how diminished Israel Adesanya has kept looking every time out for the past two and a half years. But Pyfer was tasked with beating the man in front of him and he did just that. He may not look like a title contender right now, but he has steadily shown some signs of improvements and at this stage of his career, there is no reason to think he’s a finished product.

With the title picture looking like it currently does, I wouldn’t book Pyfer with the top 3 just yet (although a fight with Dricus Du Plessis does sound like a blast). I would instead look at someone like Caio Borralho. Both Pyfer and Borralho sound like they would be good measuring sticks for one another, right now. And with Nassourdine Imavov clearly being the most deserving contender, there’s no reason to rush either of them against the winner of the UFC 328 main event.

Pyfer’s next fight: Caio Borralho

Alexa Grasso

The former champion was in such bad need of any win that I think she would’ve taken a closely contested split decision if that’s what was presented to her. However, there’s was no need for any of those hypotheticals as she put Maycee Barber out cold in a way that I can’t quite recall a flyweight doing since Valentina Shevchenko head kicked Jessica Eye into oblivion. Statement needed, statement made.

Despite being around for a long time, Grasso still has a couple fresh faces to fight at the top of the division. Erin Blanchfield would be a great opponent, but I prefer the idea of Blanchfield against the other flyweight who had a fantastic first round KO victory on this card. I’d like to see the striking matchup between Grasso’s boxing and Manon Fiorot’s kickboxing. Fiorot still needs to do more work to get back in a title shot, so a former champion like Grasso makes a ton of sense as her next opponent.

Grasso’s next fight: Manon Fiorot

Michael Chiesa

Too often, a four-fight win streak would give a fighter the illusion that they should stick around for another run. Calling it a career in Seattle was the right move. Happy retirement, Maverick!

Lerryan Douglas

The ”Gunslinger” is not just a super cool nickname, it also turns out to be a very accurate one for Lerryan Douglas. Defense has never been a staple of Julian Erosa’s game, but not everyone has been skilled enough to make him pay for it. Of Melquizael Costa a six-fight heater, four have come by finish, yet Erosa went the distance with him. Douglas made short of ”Juicy J”, getting him out of there in just 3 minutes and 33 seconds. Douglas already deserves a step up in competition. A more skilled version of Erosa would be Andre Fili, who has proven to be beatable while being a tough out for anyone.

Douglas’ next fight: Andre Fili

Yousri Belgaroui

Belgaroui has come a long way from failing to earn a contract on the Contender Series twice. Since then, he has won by knockout in back-to-back fights as a betting underdog against young up-and-comers who had momentum behind them. This was probably his best MMA performance yet. At 33 years of age, I’d be in favour of pushing Belgaroui up the food chain a bit quicker than usual. For that reason, I would book him against Roman Dolidze next.

Belgaroui’s next fight: Roman Dolidze

Terrance McKinney

The Evel Knievel of MMA as Luke Thomas calls him, had a vintage performance as he dismantled Kyle Nelson in just 24 seconds. We are most likely passed the days of thinking McKinney will evolve into a top10 lightweight contender. Since he’s not the one the UFC is testing, they can use him as a way to test other fighters. With T-Wrecks, it’s not complicated; you either survive the storm, or you don’t. Kyle Nelson couldn’t, so now McKinney moves on to another test. I think a fight with Manoel Sousa would be perfect to test the Brazilian, but would also make for maximum chaos, which is the best way to use a fighter like T-Wrecks.

McKinney’s next fight: Manoel Sousa

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Pyfer, Grasso Pick Up Performance Bonuses at UFC Seattle

Jay Anderson — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:36:35 +0000

As UFC CEO and President Dana White admitted following UFC Seattle, it was no easy task to choose the Fight Night card’s post-fight bonuses.

Saturday’s event at the Climate Pledge Arena turned out to be a winner, with all six fights on the main card ending in finishes, with three more on the preliminary portion of the event.

That left a number of fighters settling for $25,000 finishing bonuses, while Joe Pyfer and Alexa Grasso earned $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses.

Pyfer earned a TKO finish of Israel Adesanya, the end coming in the second round. Grasso’s performance stole the night, however, by knocking out Maycee Barber in the co-main event, then jumping on a rear-naked choke. It all happened so fast that the ref was still on the way in, an essentially dazed Barber not even aware of what was happening and wrestling the official’s leg when the choke was released.

It was a knockout in the end, not a submission, as the ref had already made the call to end the fight off the crushing hook that ended it. White was high on the finish in the night’s post-fight press conference. “I think it’s one of the greatest finishes in the sport’s history, let alone this year or tonight or whatever,” he stated.

Later, White admitted that “it was a rough night to pick bonuses, but that’s always a good problem to have.”

Tofiq Musayev, who beat Ignacio Bahamondes on the scorecards in a bloody war that saw Chile’s Bahamondes split open, shared Fight of the Night with his opponent.

All four bonus winners take home $100,000 U.S., while Navajo Stirling, Casey O’Neill, Lance Gibson Jr., Terrance McKinney, Yousri Belgaroui, Lerryan Douglas, and Michael Chiesa all pick up $25,000 finish bonuses.

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UFC Seattle: Wild Finish As Alexa Grasso Knockts Out Maycee Barber, Then Chokes Her

Jay Anderson — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 02:15:49 +0000

Maycee Barber and Alexa Grasso, ranked #3 and #5 in the UFC women’s flyweight division respectively, faced off in the co-main event at UFC Seattle on Saturday.

Grasso was looking to work her way back to the title she once held, which had returned to the hands of Valentina Shevchenko at the end of their trilogy. Barber, long considered a future champ at 125lbs, was looking to finally earn her title opportunity.

The pair went right at it in Saturday’s headliner, exchanging punches early. Barber held center, with Grasso outside, in the opening minute.

The pair felt out their distance for a bit, before the end came in shocking, violent fashion. Grasso connected with a left hand, tagging Barber. As Barber went down, almost doing a splits, she spun around, and Grasso jumped on the neck, locking up the rear-naked choke.

Barber was already done, the finish a knockout not a submission with the ref already on the way in, but Maycee was barely conscious and wound up chasing the leg of the ref, thinking the fight was still on. She then wound up flat on her back, eyes open, blinking but not responsive for a good minute while the cageside physician checked in on her.

To be fair to ref Mike Beltran, he wasn’t slow getting on top of things- the finishing sequence simply happened that fast.

Luckily, Barber was able to sit upright and stand for the result being read, though it was a scary moment given her medical history. As for Grasso, a huge victory for the former champ, who called for the UFC to visit her hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Official Result: Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber by knockout, Round 1, 2:42

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Maycee Barber Eyes Redemption Against Grasso in Long-Awaited Rematch

Eddie Law — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:59:30 +0000

Maycee Barber will finally get the opportunity she’s been chasing for years when she meets Alexa Grasso in a rematch at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

Nearly three years removed from their first bout in 2021, Barber enters the co-main event determined to rewrite the narrative against a familiar rival and prove how far she’s evolved since their initial meeting.

“It’s a fight that I’ve been calling for after every single win. It didn’t really matter when it came it was just something I’ve been calling for years,” Barber told reporters on Wednesday.

“The timing worked out and I’m just very thankful.”

Barber (15-2) knows the level of competition Grasso has faced during her recent run, pointing to the caliber of opponents as a key factor in those losses. At the same time, she expects that stretch to bring out a more dangerous and motivated version of her the former UFC champion on Saturday night.

“She’s always trying to fight the best and those girls are coming out on top. Valentina isn’t a bad fighter. Valentina is a great fighter and they had several back-and-forth fights. Natalia Silva’s also a good fighter, but she just had a different style that I don’t think Grasso was able to get the victory over,” she said.

“I think it’s very frustrating for Grasso. She’s going to be very hungry and I think she’s going to be her best version of herself. I’m ready to face that.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Maycee Barber above. She faces Alexa Grasso at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

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Alexa Grasso Targets Title Contention in Rematch Against Barber

Eddie Law — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:24:06 +0000

Alexa Grasso will look to reassert her place among the elite at flyweight when she meets Maycee Barber in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

Grasso (16-5-1) hopes a win over the surging Barber will move her closer to another title opportunity, though she admits the exact path back to contention remains uncertain.

“Hopefully, yes. I don’t know how many fights I need to be (in) the talk about being a contender. The fights I need to do, as much as I need to do, I will do it again,” Grasso told reporters on Wednesday.

“That’s the goal again.”

The rematch wasn’t one Grasso actively sought. Still, she emphasized that she never turns down a fight, regardless of the opponent, and Barber simply happens to be a familiar one. With more than five years since their first meeting, both fighters have clearly evolved in that time.

“I always say yes to any fight the UFC (gives me),” she said.

“It’s been 5 years since our first fight. We both evolved in every area. I think she got better in everything.”

Grasso acknowledged that her journey has taken her through some of the division’s biggest moments, shaping her perspective heading into this fight.

“Our careers (are on) different paths and fighting for championship three times was a huge experience in my life,” she said.

“This will be a plus(for) me.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Alexa Grasso above. She faces Maycee Barber at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

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Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber to Clash for Second Time at UFC Seattle

Jay Anderson — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:00:33 +0000

An upcoming Fight Night event in Seattle will include a pair of standout flyweights colliding for the second time.

UFC Seattle is the landing spot for Alexa Grasso versus Maycee Barber 2, with former UFC women’s flyweight champion Grasso having seen her hand raised in the duo’s first encounter. The event takes place on March 28, 2026 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

News of the booking was first reported by Twitter/X personality Krazy Kev.

Grasso (16-5-1) has not won a fight since her shock victory against Valentina Shevchenko in 2023. The pair would go on to complete a trilogy, going 1-1-1 with the second fight ending in a draw, and the third seeing Shevchenko reclaim her 125lb title.

Mexico’s Grasso returned to action at UFC 315 last May, dropping a decision against flyweight contender Natalia Silva.

Barber (15-2), who lost a decision to Grasso at UFC 258 in February of 2021, has not suffered defeat since. She’s won seven straight, including a December victory over Karine Silva. Barber has also battled health struggles that saw her pulled from a fight with Erin Blanchfield moments before she was set to walk out to the cage, after reportedly suffering a seizure.

Alexa Grasso is tied for the #3 spot in the women’s flyweight division, per the official UFC rankings. Maycee Barber sits at #5.

UFC Seattle sees the promotion visiting the home of the “Seattle Sound” for the fifth time in its history.

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Alexa Grasso Out, Natalia Silva In Against Rose Namajunas At UFC 324

Eddie Law — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:16:51 +0000

Alexa Grasso has been forced out of her highly anticipated rematch with Rose Namajunas at UFC 324, shaking up the co-main event just weeks before fight night. Stepping in to salvage the matchup is surging contender Natalia Silva, who now gets the biggest opportunity of her career and a chance to solidify herself as the #1 contender at 125 pounds.

First reported by Sherdog.

Silva (19-5-1) enters on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Grasso at UFC 315 in May, a victory that extended her UFC streak to seven straight. The streak has pushed her squarely into title conversation, with champion Valentina Shevchenko openly identifying her as a potential challenger following her most recent defense.

Rose (14-7) enters fresh off a unanimous decision win over Miranda Maverick in June. The former two-time strawweight champion moved to flyweight in 2023, debuting against Manon Fiorot in a losing effort before rebounding with a win over Tracy Cortez just months later.

Grasso (16-5-1) is riding a two-fight skid, having lost her title in a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 306 before falling to Silva. No official reason was provided for her withdrawal, though it’s likely she will remain sidelined for the remainder of 2025.

UFC 324 takes place on Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in the very first UFC event on Paramount+.

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Alexa Grasso Believes She’ll Fight in Guadalajara Next Year

Gabriel Gonzalez and Jay Anderson — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 20:01:33 +0000

Las Vegas — For now, rumors of a fight between Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas at this year’s Noche UFC card are just that: rumors.

Grasso (16-5-1), the former UFC women’s flyweight champion, was on hand at UFC X, and spoke to Cageside Press about the possibility. While nothing is official, she did add that if the UFC wants it, she’s on board.

“I mean I don’t know anything, it’s just rumors,” said Grasso, before adding that “whatever the UFC says, I’m in. Whatever the UFC says. I’m not the kind of person who says ‘I want this, I want that.’ I’ve never been like that. You guys know me, I’m super respectful. Whatever the UFC says, I’ll do it.”

This year’s Noche UFC is not taking place in Guadalajara, Grasso’s hometown, as planned however. Due to issues with construction delays, the venue in the Mexican city would not have been ready in time for the planned September date, which coincides with Mexican Independence Day. And so, for the third year running, a UFC event celebrating the fighting spirit of Mexico will instead take place in America, this time in San Antonio, TX.

“It’s a bit sad, but I also think that everything happens for a reason,” Grasso said on that front. “The arena was not ready, they are still building it. So I’m pretty sure that next year, I’m going to fight there.”

In a final message to fans, Grasso thanked them “for the support, for the love. It’s truly a blessing to be here, to be able to represent my country, to keep fighting. The next one will be tons better.”

Watch our full interview with former UFC women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso above.

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What’s Next: UFC 315 Losers

Bryson Hester — Tue, 13 May 2025 00:38:26 +0000

UFC 315 on Saturday featured 12 bouts resulting in five finishes. Montreal, Quebec, Canada hosted a double feature of title bouts resulting Manon Fiorot falling short of winning the women’s flyweight title and Belal Muhammad losing his welterweight title. A former champion turned #1 contender as well as a last second replacement rounds out this week of group of losers. Only one finish on the five-fight main card- in a short notice fight as well. A sign of some stellar matchmaking for this card and hopefully, to come from it.

Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad was unsuccessful in defending his title on Saturday when Jack Della Maddalena defeated him by unanimous decision. Muhammad’s loss at UFC 315 was his first in 11 fights, dating back to his January of 2019 unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Geoff Neal. A failed first title defense at the hands of the #5 ranked contender, rough stuff- at least Belal has the added bonus that it was a great fight, as many fans and critics said he was incapable of taking part in one. The bout even won Fight of the Night honors. Damage is still done for Belal, nevertheless, as he is unlikely to get an immediate rematch due to the current landscape of the welterweight and lightweight divisions. Not to mention Belal turns 37 later this year.

Belal should fight former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, in his next fight. Kamaru currently has a bout on the books against #7 ranked Joaquin Buckley on June 14th. The timing might not match up the greatest, but nearly everything else does. Belal and Kamaru are both former champs, and this is a fresh matchup a lot of fans want to see. Plus, the two have exchanged some words in the past. They share some similar opponents too (Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, Demian Maia).

Regardless of whether the #4 ranked welterweight loses against Buckley or not, this would be great fight for both men. Usman is relevant no matter the outcome of his bout with Buckley, also aging at 38. And Usman has lost his last three (Leon Edwards x2, Khamzat Chimaev). Perfect time for this square off of somewhat similar styles. Winner would prove themselves still relevant within the welterweight’s elites. While the loser, would likely be banished (to being a gatekeeper of the elites of the division) maybe top 8-10.

Belal’s next fight: Kamaru Usman

Manon Fiorot

Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her title against Manon Fiorot in a unanimous decision in the co main event on Saturday. Manon had not lost an MMA fight since her very first one back in 2018, going 12-0 since then, 7-0 with the UFC, to come up short against “Bullet” at UFC 315. Manon entered the fight as the #2 ranked contender within the division so she should not fall too far, especially considering her performance.

A reasonable next fight for Manon would be against Alexa Grasso. Alexa also competed on the main card of UFC 315, so the timing would be great. Alexa entered her fight as the #1 ranked women’s flyweight falling to the #5 ranked, Natalia Silva. Grasso might currently be riding a 2-fight losing skid, but she rode a six-fight unbeaten streak before that, including a win and a split draw against Shevchenko. Perfect fight to help Fiorot reestablish her dominance as Grasso’s loss against Silva might age well. Fiorot would be looking at another title shot with a win. With a loss, she could slip out of the top 5.

Manon’s next fight: Alexa Grasso

Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo lost a unanimous decision to #15 ranked, Aiemann Zahabi, on the main card of UFC 315. The fight (and before the fight) saw a whirlwind of twists and turns for the #11 ranked ‘bantamweight.’ The fight was moved to a featherweight fight last second due to Aldo having trouble with the weight cut. Then in the bout, the UFC hall of famer looked incredibly strong, utilizing the new ruleset and badly hurting his opponent, but his gas tank faltered. The legend then narrowly avoided getting finished himself toward the end of the fight before the controversial result was announced. Aldo announced his retirement which was very emotional and potentially a spur of the moment thing. Considering the week he had and the outcome of the fight, we will honor it with no next matchup. Happy trails, legend.

Jose’s next fight: Retirement

Alexa Grasso

Alexa Grasso became another victim of Natalia Silva‘s active striking and movement when she lost a unanimous decision on Saturday. Grasso looked good but just couldn’t corral and out-land the dynamic strikes of her opponent. As previously mentioned, Alexa entered the fight ranked at #1 in the division while Silva was ranked at #5. Makes the outcome hurt that much more but doesn’t truly diminish Alexa’s stock.

Grasso’s next fight should be against Manon Fiorot. Manon wasn’t able to get it done against Valentina later on in the night and Grasso got a similar result in her most recent fight with Bullet. This would be a great damage control fight for Alexa to reestablish that she is still right there in the title contention conversation, still. Loss for Grasso in that fight would undoubtedly spell her sliding a ways out of the top five. Win could potentially birth a title shot but it depends on the timing as well as the champion at the time.

Alexa’s next fight: Manon Fiorot

Kyle Prepolec

It looked like business as usual for Benoit Saint-Denis as he secured a second-round submission against Kyle Prepolec in the first fight on the main card of UFC 315. If the UFC even decides to keep Prepolec, who is now 0-3 with the promotion, it’d be because he stepped up on short notice.

Kyle’s next fight should be against someone in a somewhat similar situation. Elves Brenner could make a lot of sense. Brenner is 3-2 with the UFC but is on a two-fight skid. Also, all three of his wins (Zubaira Tukhugov, Guram Kutatelaze and Kaynan Kruschewsky) are no longer on the UFC roster. Not to mention, Brenner’s most recent fight, an April of 2024 third round TKO loss to Joel Alvarez- was who Benoit Saint Denis was originally supposed to fight on 315 in the first place. Great scrap here with the loser being cut out of a crowded division and the winner getting to stay but still in a precarious position.

Kyle’s next fight: Elves Brener

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Natalia Silva Locked In On Title Shot, Praises Aldo

Jay Anderson and Eddie Law — Sun, 11 May 2025 15:53:50 +0000

UFC flyweight Natalia Silva is locked in on a title shot after taking out former champion Alexa Grasso at UFC 315 on Saturday night.

“My eyes are set on the title. That’s what I want next. There’s even stories with both of those girls to promote this fight. Valentina was asked about me one time and she said she don’t know who I was,” Silva told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator at her post-fight scrum.

“It’s about time that she knows who I am.”

Silva (19-5-1) already has a pretty sizable following, but to beat Grasso so convincingly may push her name to the top of the list. At least she hopes it does.

“For sure I think the fans can ask for it. I think that can’t hurt for them to ask for me to fight for the title. That’s what I’m set on right now,” she said.

“I’ve been saying that I’m going to be the champion since I came in here. That’s what I really believe. I’m not just going to be any champion. I’m going to build a legacy and I’m going to be here for a while.”

If she hopes to build a legacy and become a legend she needed to look no further than Jose Aldo. Aldo lost his fight against Aimeann Zahabi at UFC 315, and then retired, but his example is special for all fighters. Specially Brazilians.

“Aldo’s a guy that has built an amazing legacy. He’s done amazing things in the UFC,” Silva told Cageside Press.

“Everyone can be inspired by him for sure for everything that he’s done. I hope he has a good retirement now.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Natalia Silva above.

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