Alexa Grasso expects another war against Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC in The Las Vegas Sphere next weekend (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024).
The third time will have to be the charm for the former UFC Flyweight champion, Shevchenko, if she wasn’t to keep her title hopes alive. The 36-year-old “Bullet” nearly recaptured her crown in the Grasso rematch at last year’s Noche UFC, but ultimately walked away with a split draw.
Grasso began the series off on the right foot, capturing the title with a huge upset fourth round face crank (watch highlights) on Shevchenko at UFC 285 in March 2023. Having yet to lose to Shevchenko, a loss would keep the rivalry tied at worst for the current champion, leading her to hope a fourth would happen if she falls short in the trilogy.
“Since I moved to the Flyweight division, she’s been the goal,” Grasso said at a Noche UFC pre-fight media scrum. “She’s been on my radar so long, so I don’t mind. This fight can be like two things: If she wins, she needs to give me another shot. If I win, I think that it’s over. It’s 50/50. Anything can happen in a fight.
“I don’t know, maybe [we fight for a fourth time],” she concluded with a laugh.
Both Grasso vs. Shevchenko bouts have been excellent and a third should be no different. The motivations and build up to it for each have them itching to put things behind them, Grasso expects the most excitement out of part three.
“It’s a lot of a challenge. We’ve shared 45 minutes in the Octagon together,” Grasso said. “We know what it’s [like] to be in there with each one of us, and I love that. I love that we are so competitive. We are so professional. UFC doesn’t do things just because. We are here for a reason, and we are showing that women’s MMA is growing so much, and I love that every single fight we had is amazing. So this third fight, the first one was cool, the second one was cooler, imagine how it’s gonna be in the third one.”