NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
UFC flyweight competitor Alexa Grasso delivered one of the brutal knockouts of 2026 so far.
Grasso went up against Maycee Barber in the co-main event at UFC Seattle. The matchup was expected to be a slugfest as the two female fighters are a couple of the best in the division.
With about 2:30 left in the fight, Grasso connected on a few punches. She avoided Barber’s strikes and hit a quick one-two, stunning Barber and knocking her down. Grasso quickly capitalized and put Barber in a rear-naked chokehold. She was credited with a knockout victory.
Barber was completely out of it, while Grasso celebrated her 17th victory and her first since March 2023 when she defeated Valentina Shevchenko via submission. The Barber fight was Grasso’s first since May 2025 when she lost to Natalia Silva via unanimous decision.
Barber was hospitalized after the fight, though she walked out of the Octagon under her own power.
TYRELL FORTUNE WINS UFC DEBUT AFTER SCORE ERROR REVERSAL, YEARS AFTER BEING PRONOUNCED DEAD
“Not our night… This is the fight game and sometimes things don’t go our way,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “No blame, no excuses … just lessons. We learn, we grow and we come back stronger. God is good all the time.”
UFC President Dana White praised Grasso’s performance.
“I think it is one of the greatest in sports history, let alone this year, tonight or whatever,” he said, via SB Nation. “It was incredible.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
It’s unclear whether Grasso will get a shot at the flyweight championship soon. Shevchenko is currently the title holder with Silva listed as the top contender for her.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article here
