Alexa Grasso took the lead once more on the newest episode of The Final Fighter 32.
The reigning UFC flyweight champion moved to 2-1 in her teaching matchup with Valentina Shevchenko, as her No. 2 featherweight choose Kaan Ofli received a choice over Staff Bullet’s Nathan Fletcher. That is additionally Grasso’s first featherweight win of the season after her No. 1 choose at 145 kilos, Guillermo Torres, misplaced to Shevchenko’s high choose Roedie Roets.
Ofli (11-2-1) needed to work onerous for his choice win as Fletcher (8-1) proved to be greater than an equal match on the toes and on the bottom. The primary spherical clearly went to the Australian as he used an advancing jab and a heavy proper hand to strain Fletcher earlier than finally scoring with a slam. From there, Ofli methodically handed Fletcher’s defenses till he took his again, from the place he combined in ground-and-pound with a rear-naked choke try.
Fletcher survived to make it to Spherical 2 and figuring out he wanted to tie it as much as power an additional body, the Scouser got here out swinging. As Fletcher flurried, Ofli remained calm till he discovered a gap for one more takedown. Fletcher shortly returned to his toes, solely to get taken down once more, however then he shocked Ofli by going for broke with a rolling scramble that resulted in him briefly taking Ofli’s again.
Although Fletcher managed loads of offense, Ofli continued to catch him with strikes as properly and ended the battle working from high place. Ofli’s efforts had been sufficient to earn him a choice and place within the TUF 32 featherweight semifinals.
Subsequent week, we now have a rescheduled middleweight matchup between Staff Grasso’s Omran Chaaban (6-1) and Staff Bullet’s No. 1 choose Shamidkhan Magomedov (7-1. This bout was imagined to happen on Episode 2, however was postponed when Chaaban was identified with an open chilly sore.)
Within the aftermath of final week’s battle, which noticed Robert Valentin rating a quick and brutal knockout of Giannis Bachar, the episode opened with a scene of Bachar struggling together with his first-ever loss to strikes. Valentin and Bachar’s teammates made certain to consolation the Greek fighter, assuring him that these sorts of losses are merely a part of being a fighter.
The Final Fighter 32 airs stay each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Following the season finale, Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are anticipated to face off in a flyweight championship trilogy bout at a date nonetheless to be decided.
The finalists of the TUF 32 middleweight and featherweight tournaments will even compete for a six-figure UFC contract on the present’s stay finale. A date for that occasion can also be but to be introduced.
Listed here are the TUF 32 rosters divided by group:
Staff Grasso
Featherweights
Guillermo Torres (Mexico) (7-1)
Kaan Ofli (Australia) (10-2-1)
Bekhzod Usmonov (Tajikistan) (11-4)
Mairon Santos (Brazil) (13-1)
Middleweights
Robert Valentin (Switzerland) (10-3)
Paddy McCorry (Eire) (4-1)
Omran Chaaban (Finland) (6-1)
Tom Theocharis (Canada) (9-5)
Staff Shevchenko
Featherweights
Roedie Roets (South Africa) (7-1)
Zygimantas Ramaska (Lithuania) (9-2)
Nathan Fletcher (England) (8-1)
Edwin Cooper Jr. (USA) (6-1)
Middleweights
Shamidkhan Magomedov (Russia) (7-1)
Mark Hulme (South Africa) (12-3)
Ryan Loder (USA) (6-1)
Giannis Bachar (Greece) (9-2)
Listed here are the quarterfinal outcomes thus far:
Roedie Roets def. Guillermo Torres through choice
Robert Valentin def. Giannis Bachar through KO (strikes) (R1)
Kaan Ofli def. Nathan Fletcher through choice
Advancing to semifinals: Roets, Valentin, Ofli
Eradicated: Torres, Bachar, Fletcher
