Joanne Calderwood and Alexa Grasso are expected to meet at an event in November.
The flyweight fight between No. 6 and No. 10 in the division was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN on Monday evening. It is not official, but Calderwood and Grasso have agreed to fight on Nov. 20 at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event. The event is still in the process of being assembled, so it does not have a location or venue at this time.
Calderwood is making her third appearance in the Octagon this year. She returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Jessica Eye at UFC 257, but dropped a split decision to Lauren Murphy in a title eliminator at UFC 263. That was her second opportunity at a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko, who she nearly met at UFC 251 last year before an injury would force the champion from the fight.
Calderwood did not want to wait for Shevchenko and instead took a short-notice fight against Jennifer Maia at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan, where she lost by way of submission. Her title shot was also lost, but she could find it again with a win over Grasso.
Grasso began her UFC career competing in the strawweight division, where she went 3-3 against notable veterans. The 27-year-old looked very promising in her performances, but she had some trouble on the scales. Grasso decided to move to the flyweight division over a year ago and has since found success in her most recent appearances.
Grasso made her divisional debut at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić, where she defeated Ji Yeon Kim by unanimous decision. She followed that up with another unanimous decision win, this time over a fellow prospect in Maycee Barber at UFC 258.
Calderwood vs. Grasso is currently the only fight scheduled for this event on November 20th., but more fights are expected to be added in the coming weeks, as well as a venue for the event. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for updates.
About the author
