Alexa Grasso will head into her big Mexican Independence Day title fight in style.
The women’s Flyweight title is on the line at Noche UFC in Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena next weekend (Sat., Sept. 16, 2023). In the evening’s main event, Mexico’s last remaining UFC champion looks to earn her second consecutive victory over the all-time great “Bullet,” Valentina Shevchenko.
In honor of the fight and event taking place on the aforementioned holiday, UFC President, Dana White, unveiled that Grasso will get her own customized belt.
“This company, which is based down in Mexico, made this belt for Alexa Grasso,” White said in the embedded Twitter video above. “This will be her championship belt. She’ll have the other one, but we’re gonna present her with this one and she’s gonna defend the title against Shevchenko on Mexican Independence Day on September 16.”
Former interim Featherweight champion, Yair Rodriguez, also received a custom title ahead of his unification bout opposite undisputed titlist, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 290 this past July 2023. It was the first time the promotion did something of the sort, excluding the Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) title. Unfortunately for “El Pantera,” he came up short via a third round technical knockout (watch highlights).
Grasso challenged the former champion, Shevchenko, for the Flyweight title at UFC 285 this past March 2023. After a competitive first three and a half rounds, Grasso managed to pull off the unthinkable and sunk in a tight face crank submission that ended the fight (watch highlights).
Depending on the outcome of their second encounter, Grasso and Shevchenko have ready-made match ups with top contenders Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot awaiting. Both top title hopefuls are recent winners of unanimous decisions against Taila Santos and Rose Namajunas.