Noche UFC will be more than a title defense for flyweight champion Alexa Grasso - ESPN

The rear-naked choke is the most commonly applied jiu-jitsu submission in MMA. Winning and losing by that method have marked the career of UFC women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso.

The Mexican standout, who dethroned Valentina Shevchenko in March at UFC 285 with that choke as a heavy underdog (+650), is now set to defend her title for the first time in a rematch against the most dominant champion in the history of the division this Saturday at Noche UFC in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+). For Grasso, this is the culmination of a dream forged by her will to fight and her love for Guadalajara, her home in the state of Jalisco.

Showing outstanding boxing from the start of her MMA career, Grasso made her mark on the international women's MMA scene with victories in Invicta FC, which signed her in 2014 along with her teammate Irene Aldana. Grasso made her UFC debut in November 2016. The promotion's CEO, Dana White, had praised her style after first seeing her fight a year earlier at Invicta FC 11 in Los Angeles, where she co-headlined alongside Cris Cyborg. That Invicta fight happened the night before Ronda Rousey, the biggest star in women's MMA at the time, had one of her most memorable wins in the Octagon, finishing Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds at UFC 184.

Grasso was one of the female pioneers of women's MMA in Mexico and had shined at local jiu-jitsu tournaments since she was a teenager under the guidance of former pro fighter Tito Castro. She entered the UFC with an undefeated record of 8-0 and a label of a future star. In her first Octagon appearance, boosted by a supportive crowed at Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Grasso secured a strawweight victory against Heather Clark.

But just months later, the 23-year-old began