“It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also a good motivation for me because of course I can achieve it,” she said of the expectations on her. “There are always hard challenges, but the harder the challenge is, the greater the victory. So it’s been a good journey. I’ve been up and down and up and down, but I never give up. If everybody thought that I was good at 115, 125 is gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, what happened to her?’”
She laughs, sounding as confident and content as anyone has with a fight and a weight cut coming up. Maybe she just assumes that after making things work at home with gyms still shut down, nothing can slow her down now.
“This is a crazy time for all the world,” she said. “Here in Mexico we are dealing with that situation, too, but we are doing the best we can. Fortunately, I have a team and coach that are able to train with me. I’ve heard that God gives the hardest work to the hardest warriors, so I think he knows that I’m a good warrior.”
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She is, but she’s chasing great warrior status at the moment, even if she’s walking into a whole new world in the 125-pound weight class.
“There’s always new challenges,” Grasso said. “I know that the girls at flyweight are taller and bigger compared to 115. I also have to adapt to this new weight class, but being honest, I feel I have a lot less stress about making weight and I’m just focused on performing and hitting harder and kicking faster and making my takedowns. Also on the floor, I feel more stable, and my partners say they don’t move me so easy. When I was at strawweight, they said ‘We felt like we were going to break you.’ (Laughs) Now it’s different because I feel very, very strong.”
There’s another feeling she has leading into fight week, too, and it may be the most important one she’s had in a long time.
“I have no injuries,” she laughs. “This is magic. I feel like magic. This is amazing.”
