Alexa Grasso | Hard Work, Not Magic

Not that she’s complaining. She handles those obligations the way she handles seemingly everything, including our interview: humbly, gracefully and with a giant smile. And this time, the payoff for all that extra work has the potential to be enormous.

“I think that the experience is going to be huge.  I've been there. I went to watch a show [at Sphere Las Vegas] and it's amazing. And it's like, “oh!” Breathtaking. And now knowing there will be MMA fights in there with that experience and images…it's huge. It gives me chills; it’s amazing. It’s going to be part of the history forever. These images, these videos, these photoshoots…those are beautiful things, and I just can't wait. I just can't wait to be there.”

UFC 306 FULL FIGHTS: Grasso vs Shevchenko 1 | Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 

The audience in the venue and even the pay-per-view audience at home will be enjoying a spectacle truly like none ever produced, but Grasso will have to enjoy a replay of it later. Despite the theatrics and multisensory experience going on all around, there will be actual fistfights at the center of it. So, her lone focus will be winning her trilogy bout with Valentina Shevchenko.

Since their first meeting in March of 2023—a stunning rear naked choke victory that secured the belt for Grasso—the two women have continuously occupied each other’s psyche. The rematch at last year ended in a split draw that both fighters were certain they had won. They then spent months coaching opposite one another on TUF, and have dedicated yet a third camp in preparation for September 14 in the midst of pre-production for Noche UFC. It’s hard to imagine two fighters that have faced off more times for promos and photo ops than these two. And despite all this, Grasso maintains she hasn’t felt the phenomenon of familiarity breeding contempt.

“No, I'm not tired of thinking about her or competing against her. Honestly, like I've said it a million times: it's a woman that I admire so much. Both of us have been working so hard all this last year. Having these opportunities is not magic.

No, we earn it. We've been working so hard. The two fights we had were so good. And I'm just excited and more motivated than ever to fight again.”

How To Watch And Stream UFC 306 In Your Country 

Viewers of TUF this season were in awe of the continued cordiality between the two fierce competitors who knew that they were destined to throw hands again. It’s not surprising to Grasso, though.

“The relationship between us is about competition. We love to compete against each other. We are, of course, respectful to each other because we know how hard is to be here, how hard it is to do a fight camp, a diet, how to be a champion. And we both know all the effort we need to be here. So, it's just respect. Of course, there’s (occasional) tension because we’ve spent a lot of time together all the last years. But yeah, I think that we love to compete against each other.”

For many years, Shevchenko owned flyweight and remains the division’s most dominant champion. Grasso was the first to solve that puzzle and now finds herself defending the throne. Asked how her life has changed since becoming champion, she begins by saying it really hasn’t, in her typical modest fashion. But as her answer unfolds, she realizes as she’s speaking that indeed, much has changed.

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“It didn't change a lot…I just know that I have more responsibilities. I need more discipline. There's a lot more in the game. You can’t allow yourself for one day to not do your best. That's the thing that changed it the most. And I'm happy; I love challenges, I love to push myself every day. I love the pressure. And that's a big change. Since I got in the UFC, of course, my goal was to be the champion, and I achieved it.”

She’s also become the face of the now-annual Noche UFC event, embodying everything that makes Mexican MMA something to celebrate.

“Mexico is growing so fast in MMA. We always shine in combat sports,” she says proudly. “The UFC loves how we fight. We always go forward. It just keeps me thinking that I have to train harder. We had a first Noche UFC and it was huge. They decided to do it once again. This means a lot to me,  that they can see my effort, my passion and how all the Mexicans are working super hard to achieve the best life they can have.”