Despite already having a win over Maycee Barber, Alexa Grasso is quite excited to fight “The Future” once again.
The two UFC women’s flyweight contenders meet in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 271 (Paramount+), which takes place Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. It’s a rematch from a competitive 2021 fight where Grasso (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) outpointed Barber (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a unanimous decision.
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“Our careers went very different ways since, but yeah, I never say no to a fight,” Grasso told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “This was the fight that needed to happen right now, and I’m excited. It’s been five years since that fight. We’ve both changed a lot since. We’re not the same kids we were back then, so it honestly excites me a lot to be fighting against her.”
A lot has happened since their first bout. Grasso went on an incredible streak, defeating Valentina Shevchenko in a giant upset to win the UFC women’s flyweight title. She eventually lost the belt in a three-fight series with Shevchenko and lost a subsequent fight to Natalia Silva in May 2025. Meanwhile, Barber has yet to lose since falling short to Grasso. She’s won seven fights in a row, but has battled some injuries and health issues in the process.
“So much has happened since that first fight,” Grasso said. “It’s been a long road, a very difficult one where I gained a lot of experience. All the five-round fights, the trainings. Life has changed me a lot; it teaches you so many things. But it’s been good. I’ve learned a lot. Throughout that time, I’ve realized the things I wanted to change, the things I wanted to improve in. I’m definitely not the same Alexa from 2021.”
In her last two defeats, Grasso was outgrappled by Shevchenko and countered for 15 minutes by Silva – two bouts on the lower end of action. The Guadalajara native doesn’t expect this to be the case on Saturday.
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“To be honest with you, she’s one of my favorite fighters because she goes in there to fight,” Grasso explained. “She doesn’t run or go in there to tie the fight up, you know. She goes in there to fight. The first fight was very good. I see it, and I go, ‘What a great fight we put on.’ We both went at it. We tried killing each other. I have no doubt we’re going to see a similar fight. So yeah, I’ve seen her improve a ton, and this bout excites me.”
Grasso hopes to showcase the evolution and improvement that got her to become champion after beating Barber in 2021. She also wants to make a difference by becoming the first to stop Barber.
“We’re both very explosive, we’re both very intense, we both like to move forward,” Grasso said, analyzing the fight. “I swear to you, this fight has me very excited. I think we’re both going to try to rip each other’s heads off. I’ve worked a ton on the ground game and my jiu-jitsu, so hopefully this time around I can get the opportunity to finish her, and if not, I think it’s still going to be an incredible fight.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alexa Grasso explains why she’s excited to rematch Maycee Barber
