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#4 Claudia Gadelha vs Alexa Grasso
To me, this is the second-best fight on the card behind the main event. These two Strawweights are amongst the best in the world at their weight; Gadelha has gone 2-2 in her last 4 fights, but she’s still an extremely dangerous fighter in all areas, while Grasso was arguably robbed in her last outing, a fight against former champ Carla Esparza.
Stylistically, this should look like a classic striker vs. grappler fight. Despite Gadelha’s willingness to strike and Grasso’s improvements on the ground, it’s clear that the Brazilian will want this one on the mat, the Mexican on the feet. So basically, it should come down to whether Grasso can establish her boxing game without giving up takedowns.
That could prove tricky for her; Gadelha is no mug on the feet, and she’s not giving up much range to the young Mexican; she’s 5’4” to Grasso’s 5’5”. But then Grasso is also an excellent counter-striker, and if she wants to get her to the ground, Gadelha is going to have to walk right through her wheelhouse to do so.
This is a winnable fight for Grasso if she can keep things vertical, but worryingly for her, I’m not sure she has the power to knock ‘Claudinha’ out. Gadelha’s chin has been tested by Jessica Andrade and Joanna Jedrzejczyk and always held up, and Grasso has just 4 TKOs in her 14-fight career, none of them in the UFC.
The Mexican was also taken down by Esparza on more than one occasion, and while Esparza is a better pure wrestler than Gadelha, the Brazilian is also a far more dangerous finisher on the ground. It’s been almost two years since Tatiana Suarez choked Grasso out, but I suspect we’ll see the same ending for her in this one.
The Pick: Gadelha via second-round submission
