COLUMBUS, Ohio – Alexa Grasso got what she wanted in the end.
The UFC women’s flyweight contender ultimately got her wish to throw down with veteran Joanne Wood in the octagon. Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Wood (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) are scheduled to fight in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 33.
Both fighters were paired to fight last November, but Grasso was forced to withdraw from the fight. She was replaced by Taila Santos, who defeated Wood with a first-round submission at UFC Fight Night 198. Grasso went on to get booked against Viviane Araujo for January, but the Brazilian pulled from the bout due to injury. That’s when the UFC revisited the Grasso-Wood booking for Saturday’s event.
“I wanted to fight JoJo because we have a similar style and we’re both strikers,” Grasso told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 33 media day. “I’m pretty sure this is going to be a showcase of striking clinic.”
Grasso for the first time in her UFC career has back-to-back wins. The two-fight winning streak also mark her run at 125 pounds. She debuted in her new weight class in late 2020 and defeated Ji Yeon Kim in a unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, Wood finds herself in a much more different situation than Grasso’s. The 35-year-old is on a two-fight losing streak and is 2-4 in her past six UFC outings.
Although Wood might not be in her best career moments, Grasso is by no means taking the Scottish fighter lightly.
“I take every fight pretty serious,” Grasso said. “I know that every opponent is dangerous. Like I said, Jojo has a lot of experience in her game and on her record. She has more fights than me and that’s why I wanted to fight her.
“Fighting veterans is different than newcomers. This is a very important fight. She’s No. 7 right now and that’s what I want. I want to be climbing the rankings.”
Alexa Grasso glad UFC re-booked bout vs. Joanne Wood: ‘I wanted to fight her’