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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.
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Alexa Grasso of Mexico punches Maycee Barber in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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.
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Alexa Grasso (red gloves) fights Maycee Barber (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
“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.”
Alexa Grasso (red gloves) hugs Maycee Barber (blue gloves) after their fight during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28, 2026. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
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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.
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