Invicta FC 18 Main Event Pits Unbeaten Strawweight Alexa Grasso Against Jodie Esquibel

Mexican strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso will headline a card for the first time when she tangles with Jodie Esquibel at next month’s Invicta Fighting Championship event in Missouri.

Invicta officials on Monday announced seven bouts for Invicta FC 18, which takes place July 29 at Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple. The event will stream live online via UFC Fight Pass.

Grasso holds an unblemished record of 7-0 with four victories by way of knockout, but the 22-year-old up-and-comer has been out of action since beating Mizuki Inoue in February 2015. Grasso was slated to challenge then-champion Livia Renata Souza for the Invicta strawweight belt in September but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Esquibel, 30, brings a 5-1 record to the contest with four of her wins coming via decision. The Jackson-Wink MMA product has not recorded a professional bout since November 2014, when she outpointed Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc at Invicta FC 9. More recently, Esquibel competed on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 but was eliminated in the opening round in a controversial decision loss to Ashley Yoder.

The co-main event of Invicta FC 18 will feature Grasso’s teammate, Irene Aldana, taking on undefeated promotional newcomer Taila Santos in a bantamweight tilt.

Other bouts announced Monday include Cindy Dandois versus Jessamyn Duke at bantamweight; Megan Anderson versus Peggy Morgan at featherweight; and a battle between unbeaten flyweights Agnieszka Niedzwiedz and Claudia Rey.