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Alexa Grasso Continues To Climb The Mountain
Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso Embraces The Challenge Of Rematching Valentina Shevchenko At Noche UFC
When Alexa Grasso thinks back to the night she defeated Valentina Shevchenko to win the UFC flyweight title, she doesn’t remember one single thing, but all the things that led her to that moment.
“It's not just about the minutes I spent in the Octagon, it was also months and years of training, dedication for myself, giving everything I have to train and to be the best,” Grasso said. “When I won the belt, when it was around my waist, it was like a timeline, remembering everything I've been doing all these years to achieve it, so it was a really beautiful moment.”
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Becoming champion is every athlete’s dream and Grasso was able to accomplish it against one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC flyweight division. Not only did she defeat Shevchenko, but she also did it in convincing fashion, submitting the champion who had seven successful title defenses prior to UFC 285.
Following the victory, not much changed for the 30-year-old. She kept everything the same that got her to that moment. Train. Rest. Sleep. Eat. Repeat. She just kept learning and improving, and even though she achieved a lifelong dream, that doesn’t mean she’s quitting now.
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“I heard that humans are often climbing mountains,” Grasso said. “When you get to the top of one and you achieve your biggest goal of your life, then you turn your head and you realize that there's another one to climb, so this is a thing that I just noticed. I thought that being the champion and achieving this goal was the top of the world, but right now, it's just one mountain. I have to defend it. I have to keep fighting.”
Grasso’s first title defense comes on a special day, as well, Mexican Independence Day. It’s the first time the UFC is hosting a card on this day, the inaugural Noche UFC card, featuring top talent from Mexico. Being able to represent her country on the highest stage is something that Grasso doesn’t take lightly.
“It means a lot to me to have this big opportunity; it's huge for the Mexicans,” Grasso said. “This day changed the history of our country, and now the UFC is doing this for one country. We had Brandon (Moreno) as a champion, we had Yair (Rodriguez) as a champion. Irene (Aldana), who fought for the belt, to me now being the current champion. We have a lot of Mexicans in the rankings, also. This (event) says that they are happy with our performances, with our heart and with everything that we are doing, so this is huge for Mexico.”
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Her first title defense also comes as a rematch with Shevchenko, who became champion in 2018 and held the belt up until Grasso defeated her earlier this year. The accolades that Shevchenko earned throughout her career speak to the level of talent that she has. It’s one of the reasons why Grasso knew the rematch would have to happen.
Alexa Grasso | Crowning Moment
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Alexa Grasso | Crowning Moment
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“We can't forget how great Valentina is,” Grasso said. “She has done so much for the sport and not just women's MMA. It's important for me to share the Octagon again with her because having tough opponents made me tougher.”
Facing Shevchenko for a second time has its benefits, according to Grasso. The two have already spent nearly 20 minutes together inside of the Octagon, with the submission coming four minutes and 34 seconds into the fourth round. Having spent four rounds with Shevchenko, Grasso believes she knows the strengths, power, and weaknesses of “Bullet.”
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Grasso finds joy in coming up with a new and different game plan for this fight and implemented the adjustments she felt she needed to make from the first matchup.
Alexa Grasso's Family Ties | Noche UFC
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Alexa Grasso's Family Ties | Noche UFC
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“I love the striking fights, I love to show my hands, my boxing and my kicking, but the adjustments we did are just in case she wants to keep this fight on the ground,” Grasso said. “I will be ready to keep it on the ground, too. I'll do my best to keep the best positions, to be always on top and to be the most dominant in every single round of the fight.”
When she visualizes being the last one to make the walk to the Octagon on Saturday night inside T-Mobile Arena, her face lights up. She smiles, thinking about everyone with their Mexican flags cheering her on. Grasso plans to draw energy from the crowd to secure her first title defense.
“It's harder, I think, to defend the belt,” Grasso said. “It's not easy to win it. They say, it's easy to do, but it's harder to keep it and it was super hard to achieve it. Now it's going to be harder to keep it. I love the challenges and that's why I'm here.”
UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 16, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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