Natalia SilvavsRose Namajunas

Well, this one's not happening anymore. Rose Namajunas was set for a huge flyweight showdown, but Alexa Grasso has withdrawn from UFC 324. Before the pullout, this was shaping up as a wild matchup for the division. Rose had been on a tear since moving down, winning three straight including that perfect 5 for 5 takedown performance against Tracy Cortez in Denver. She looked sharp mixing up her striking with slick grappling, and beat Miranda Maverick in June to keep her momentum rolling. Meanwhile, Grasso was trying to find her footing after losing that title to Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC, then dropping another decision to Natalia Silva in May.

That was two straight losses for the former champ. Here's the thing, Grasso's still dangerous as hell when healthy. Everyone remembers when she shocked the world with that rear naked choke on Shevchenko back at UFC 285 to win the belt. That submission was nasty, and it showed she can pull off the unexpected. But Rose has been the more active fighter lately, and she's looked comfortable at 125. Her movement and footwork have always been slick, and now she's adding in that wrestling game.

The technical matchup would have been fascinating. Both are orthodox strikers who can work at range, but Rose has been way more willing to mix in takedowns lately. Grasso landed 262 strikes in that split draw rematch with Shevchenko, so her volume can be crazy high. Rose's striking accuracy has been solid too, and she's controlling almost seven minutes per fight with her ground game. This could have come down to whether Grasso could keep it standing and find her rhythm, or if Rose dragged her into deep water with that cardio and wrestling pressure. Now we'll have to wait to see this one rebooked.