Alexa Grasso picked up a personal milestone at UFC Columbus.
The flyweight contender scored the first submission victory of her career on Saturday with a rear-naked choke that forced Joanne Wood to tap in the first-round of their contest. This is Grasso’s third straight win since moving up to the flyweight division.
Grasso entered this contest No. 14 at 125 pounds in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, while Wood was No. 10.
Known primarily as a striker, Grasso scored an early takedown off of a Wood kick and looked to work from inside guard, but Wood was active on defense and the position led to a stalemate. Wood worked to get the fight back to the feet, then had success with her expert muay Thai technique that allowed her to control the range and score from distance.
As Wood advanced, she threw a spinning elbow that glanced Grasso’s head. Unfortunately for Wood, it may have also led to her downfall. Shortly after, the fighters became tangled up and they tumbled towards the fence with Grasso getting the better of the scramble. Soon she was on Wood’s back searching for a choke, which she secured to force the tap at the 3:57 mark of Round 1.
It was the first submission for Grasso (14-3) in 17 pro bouts and her first finish since a TKO of Alida Gray in December 2014. On the other side, Wood (15-8) loses for a third straight time and has now lost four of her past five fights.
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