Built for Revenge: 'The Future' vs. Grasso Rematch Takes Over Seattle in 2026
Alexa Grasso will face Maycee Barber in a rematch that’s been building into a must-see event since 2021! ‘The Future’ or Barber is looking to greet this rematch with a victory, too. She has been biding her time and gaining significant experience by winning five of her past fights. Meanwhile, her 33-year-old opponent has been developing a mixed record in her past five fights, with the last two ending in a loss for her. In their last fight, it went to a unanimous decision that was given in Grasso’s favor. The fight could end the same way in Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena just before the main event of UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer.
However, Grasso will not look for it to be so. She does have more of a slightly established defense with her record of 16-5-1. This defense will come in handy should her opponent go the distance for all three rounds. In that time, she will have to avoid any strikes thrown at her. She does tend to drop her guard when getting close, and that tendency could be Barber’s opening. Another reason this happens is for her benefit to secure submissions that have occurred in her fight career. This makes for a deadly combination that any woman in the Women’s Flyweight Division is aware of, especially when done in front of ‘The Future’.
Barber will be looking to make her mark for the victory because, in doing so, she will solidify advancement in the division both fighters are in. Plus, she is the younger fighter of the two, meaning she may have increased stamina along with her similar record of experience, which sits at 15-2-0. Furthermore, the benefit in her corner is that she avoids more strikes on average. She will use that to steal away points during the rematch while at the same time answering back with greater accuracy. This accuracy should be seen while both standing and on the ground, because she even demonstrated this in her past victories. One of these even ended in KO/TKO by the end of the second round!
The projections point to ‘The Future’ as the winner of this fight by unanimous decision. This largely makes sense due to both fighters’ ability to remain in the fight while sustaining significant strikes. They both went the total number of rounds in their last bout together, too. So, the tenacity with which they’ll come in with this fight may be double and more than what the audience even expects. The fight shows a strong chance to take place on the ground, and while standing, which will make for great fight reviews, but in those moments, Grasso could gain the upper hand and find a moment to submit her opponent. An opponent who is faster and carries more deadly strategies while standing, but can be evened out while grappling.
Make no mistake, both fighters are mixed in their fighting styles and know the ground game. Although the fighter who knows it best will keep it from going there. The fighter to do that and win will be Barber, as she’s seen the fighting style her 33-year-old opponent has to offer. The fight will be electric by the time it starts, and no doubt, aggression will be clearly seen from her, which will put her opponent on the defensive. It's hard to tell if Grasso would be able to come out of that pocket, given that her last two fights showed her shutting down in those pivotal moments where the number of strikes matters. The best way to know and see this rematch built for revenge is to stream through Paramount+ or attend in person in Seattle on March 28th, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. EDT!
