Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko have an advanced relationship.
After combating twice in 2023, the present and former flyweight world champion will co-headline UFC 306 on September 14 inside Sphere in Las Vegas. Within the months main as much as their anticipated trilogy bout, Grasso and ‘Bullet’ served as opposing coaches on the most recent season of The Final Fighter.
Whereas issues have remained respectful between the 2 combatants, Grasso could be mendacity if she mentioned there was no animosity effervescent up between the 2 125’ers. Throughout a current interview with MMA Junkie, the Guadalajara native couldn’t fairly clarify the standing of her relationship with Shevchenko, although she is aware of that it’s not like some other she’s skilled in her blended martial arts profession.
“We’ve been so many instances collectively,” Grasso mentioned. “All by means of the present. We had quite a lot of faceoffs. Once more and time and again. I don’t know. It’s actually, actually bizarre. I can inform it’s actually bizarre. However on the finish of the day, on battle week, and the day of the battle, issues change. We’re going to attempt to kill one another and that’s crucial factor. It’s actually cool to have the ability to meet along with her extra. We had been capable of do quite a lot of stuff collectively.”
When Grasso and ‘Bullet’ take middle stage at Sphere, they may make historical past as their conflict would be the first-ever UFC title tilt contained in the distinctive venue. It’ll additionally mark the primary girls’s trilogy bout in UFC historical past and there’s no one Grasso would slightly share the second with than Shevchenko.
“She has performed a lot and is a very huge inspiration to be on this stage and doing this stuff making historical past,” Grasso mentioned. “We’re doing one thing actually cool. The primary girls’s trilogy. The primary battle was wonderful. The second battle was so, so wonderful. You’ll be able to anticipate the third battle goes to be a hell of a battle.”
Alexa Grasso Hopes Valentina Shevchenko brings to battle to her at Noche UFC
Their first assembly at UFC 285 noticed Grasso pull off a surprising upset, submitting Shevchenko within the fourth spherical by way of a rear-naked choke.
Their fast rematch in September 2023 led to a really uncommon and extremely controversial break up draw. The consensus appeared to consider that ‘Bullet’ did sufficient to take again her belt, however a questionable 10-8 scorecard from Mike Bell in favor of Grasso within the fifth spherical left us with out a winner.
Grasso subscribes to the idea that if you wish to be the person, you’ve received to beat the person, and Shevchenko’s typical type of transferring backward and counterstriking isn’t going to get it performed.
“She has a method the place she waits an excessive amount of,” Grasso mentioned. “She’s simply going again and again and again. I don’t assume that’s an excellent (concept). If you wish to get your belt again, I don’t assume that’s the way in which to do this. If you’d like the belt it’s important to go for it. I might love that. I like to change. I really like battles.
“However she has a combating type the place she’s going again, again, again – I’m undecided that’s going to work. I do know precisely what I have to do to safe my win. I hope that she will be able to do extra exchanges and go ahead and chase that belt.”
