Grasso, the reigning women's Flyweight champion, is poised to secure her second consecutive victory against Valentina Shevchenko.
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As she approaches her inaugural title defense in her career, Alexa Grasso radiates unwavering self-assurance. In honor of Mexican Independence Day, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is gearing up for Noche UFC. Taking the spotlight in the headlining bout of the September 16, 2023 “Fight Night” event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Grasso, the reigning women’s Flyweight champion, is poised to secure her second consecutive victory against Valentina Shevchenko.
At 29 years old, Grasso stands as the sole Mexican UFC champion, a distinction earned through a triumphant year that saw Mexico clinch three title victories, including Grasso’s remarkable fourth-round face crank upset against Shevchenko at UFC 285.
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Although Grasso’s recent submission triumph marks only the second time she has secured a finish in her 11-fight UFC journey (with a record of 8-3 in the promotion and 16-3 overall), she remains steadfast in her anticipation of a comparable result when she faces the esteemed “Bullet.”
“Every single fight is different,” Grasso told MMA Junkie. “You always have a plan in your mind and you never know how your opponent is going to respond, but one thing I can tell you is I’m going to finish the fight. I touched her in the first round, I was super close to do a knockout, but it didn’t happen. But, I was super close so, this won’t be different. I’m going to finish the fight no matter where [it goes]. I’m going to submit her or it’s going to be a knockout.”
Having maintained an unblemished record of 10-0 at 125 pounds, Valentina Shevchenko, aged 35, suffered her first loss to Grasso. Before her ascension to divisional dominance, Shevchenko vied for the 135-pound UFC championship twice, encountering defeat on both occasions against Amanda Nunes.
As she steps into the realm of the challenger once more, this marks the third instance of a rematch in Shevchenko’s 27-fight career (23-4). Her track record stands at 1-1 in her preceding multi-fight rivalries, having engaged in battles with Nunes and the current Bellator titleholder, Liz Carmouche.
“This is super, super interesting and exciting for me because as an MMA fan and as an analyst that I work too, I would like to know what’s going to be her strategy,” Grasso said. “Now she’s the challenger which is completely different from what she has done all these years.
“So, of course now she has to go for the throne because when she was the champion, she was just waiting and waiting, and I understand that part,” she concluded. “It’s going to be huge, and I’m super excited for this fight, I love to fight, and this means a lot to me.”
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