In the co-main event of UFC Columbus, we saw a pivotal matchup in the women’s flyweight division. Top contenders went toe-to-toe as Alexa Grasso (14-3) took on Joanne Wood (15-8).
The fight was big for both fighters for different reasons. For JoJo Wood, he was trying to re-establish herself as a top contender after a recent rough stretch.
Meanwhile, Alexa Grasso was looking for her third straight win in the flyweight division which would vault her into the title picture. One of things definitely happened on Saturday night.
After a bit of a feeling out process, JoJo Wood was able to land a brutal spinning elbow. However, the elbow attack landed her right in a body lock and Grasso was able to take her down to the ground.
While known more for her striking, Grasso showed very slick skills on the ground. She was able to get to the back of Wood and locked up a rear-naked choke. Wood was forced to tap and Grasso got the big win at UFC Columbus.
What’s next after UFC Columbus?
This was such a huge win given the current landscape of the UFC’s flyweight division. Valentina Shevchenko has been so dominant and she’s faced many of the top contenders already.
The promotion has struggled to find fresh challengers and Grasso is a fresh challenger. This win immediately puts her in the conversation, but she’s likely one more win away from getting that title shot.
So, who should that fight be against. Well, the UFC has a couple of options and both of those options come out of the May 14th Fight Night.
On May 14th, there’s a pair of flyweight fights to watch out for. On that card, Viviane Araujo is taking on Andrea Lee and Amanda Ribas is fighting Katlyn Chookagian.
One of the winners should be next for Grasso. If Ribas beats Chookagian, I think Ribas would be the fight. However, if Chookagian wins, I would lean more towards the winner of Andrea Lee – Viviane Araujo.
In those situations, the UFC would be able to get a fresh challenger for Shevchenko and avoid the Chookagian rematch for now.