Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson’

Women’s Strawweights

Alexa Grasso (8-0) vs. Heather Clark (7-5)

THE MATCHUP: It is so, so good to see Grasso in the UFC. At just 23 years old, she is the most promising prospect in the shark tank that is the women’s strawweight division. Her age and inexperience belie her abilities. She is not only an incredibly crisp, technical striker but remarkably composed, as well. Grasso responds to pressure with nothing so much as a blank stare and a counter jab, and her takedown defense and scrambling skills allow her to maintain her preferred phase -- especially so given that the strawweight division is not exactly replete with strong wrestlers.

The only aspect of Grasso’s game that needs serious attention is cage generalship. Grasso’s calm demeanor does her credit, but it does not always do to calmly back yourself into the fence and let the opponent control the cage. Still, there are few fighters in this division capable of making Grasso pay for that fault. Her quick jab and ready counterpunches make it difficult for opponents to press in even when Grasso has nowhere to go, and she is quite comfortable landing knees in the clinch and punishing wayward takedown attempts with nasty elbows and hammerfists.

Clark is an excellent introductory opponent for Grasso’s UFC debut. She is game and tough, having only ever been stopped by the doctor, and matches a solid positional grappling game with surprising pop on the feet. She is defensively vulnerable in the striking and not a particularly skilled wrestler, though she has apparently invested serious time into improving the latter in recent training camps. In other words, she will not fall down and give Grasso an easy win, but she will give her a promising chance to start off her UFC career right.

THE ODDS: Grasso (-468), Clark (+371)

THE PICK: This is a fantastic fight -- tough gamer versus brilliant prospect. There is a bit of poetry to it, too, because both Clark and Grasso have recently recovered from long-term injuries. Why not match them? Grasso is the hot commodity for good reason, and she has already beaten fighters with more reputable records than Clark’s. She will keep Clark on the end of her jab, hit her in the clinch when Clark looks to take things to the floor and, all in all, get a few rounds of solid work. There is absolutely no reason not to pick her here. Grasso wins by third-round TKO.

Last Fights » The Prelims