Herrig rides striking to hand Grasso 1st career loss

Felice Herrig gave the MMA world a pointed reminder she has more than one wrinkle in her arsenal on Saturday.

"Lil' Bulldog" outclassed highly touted prospect Alexa Grasso not on the ground, but on the feet through the better part of three rounds to take a unanimous decision and hand Grasso her first pro loss in the strawweight co-main event of UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston.

The bout came on the 25th anniversary of Herrig's brother's passing, and the 32-year-old dedicated her second straight victory to her fallen sibling before calling out Michelle Waterson and Paige VanZant.

Herrig gained the upper hand over an uncharacteristically gun-shy Grasso in short order, repeatedly finding a home for her sneaky right hand and overwhelming the Mexican prospect with punches in bunches.

The Illinois native's output secured her the first two frames, but Grasso dialed up the aggression in Round 3, desperately trading leather with Herrig from the pocket in pursuit of a late finish, but the judges remained unmoved by the ounslaught.

The 12th-ranked Grasso sees a nine-fight win streak snapped with her first professional loss and now holds a UFC record of 1-1.