It wasn't just the physical pain. It was the mental toll, too.
Alexa Grasso had never experienced anything quite like that. First, it was torn shoulder tendons that required surgery and rehab. Then, it was a broken hand. Grasso was booked to fight at least three times for Invicta over the last year, but had to withdraw from all of them.
That title shot she thought she earned in 2015 evaporated — not because of something she did in the cage, but due to injuries. At 22 years old, Grasso considered retirement.
"Honestly, I was going to quit," Grasso told MMA Fighting.