Tag: Valentina Shevchenko

Backup Fighter Apparently Set For Title Bout At Sphere-Held Noche UFC On September 14

Contingency plans are in place for at least one of the championship fights set for Noche UFC at the Sphere, should there be a late-notice withdrawal. The organization will stage its second celebration of Mexican Independence Day on September 14 following the success of the inaugural event in 2023. Las Vegas will once again play […]

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Contingency plans are in place for at least one of the championship fights set for Noche UFC at the Sphere, should there be a late-notice withdrawal.

The organization will stage its second celebration of Mexican Independence Day on September 14 following the success of the inaugural event in 2023. Las Vegas will once again play host, but the Octagon will be in extremely different surroundings.

Instead of the T-Mobile Arena, the 2024 edition of Noche UFC (UFC 306) is set to go down inside the Sphere. For months, UFC CEO Dana White has vowed to put on a sporting spectacle like nothing seen before.

Tasked with delivering fireworks inside the cage will be the four headliners, who will look to exit the Sphere with gold in their possession. That’s bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili in the main event, while flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are set to complete their trilogy in the co-headliner.

Injuries and illness forcing late-notice cancellations is never ideal, not least for an event of this magnitude. With that in mind, many have suggested that backups will likely be sought for the two bouts at the top of the lineup.

And by the sounds of things, one is locked in…

Fiorot Expected To Serve As Backup For Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3

During a recent interview with Boxemag, coach Aldric Cassata claimed that the #2-ranked Manon Fiorot has been “officially” confirmed as the backup fighter for Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3 on Sept. 14.

Should her services not be required on fight night after making championship weight, the trainer suggested “The Beast” will have the chance to cash in on her earned title shot by facing the winner either at the end of this year or early 2025.

“Manon is officially backup for the belt; she will be in Vegas,” Cassata said (h/t MMA Mania). “If there is no injury (to Grasso or Shevchenko), I think the (title fight) will be at the end of the year or the beginning of next year.”

Fiorot put herself in prime position for a first championship opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage by getting the better of the highly regarded Erin Blanchfield in the main event of the Atlantic City-held UFC Fight Night this past March.

That result moved the Frenchwoman to a 7-0 record in the UFC, following decision triumphs over the likes of Tabatha Ricci, Mayra Bueno Silva, Katlyn Cerminara, and Rose Namajunas.

It remains to be seen whether Fiorot will need to don the custom, Mexico-inspired fight kits to compete at the Sphere this fall. If not, it would appear that the Sept. 14 victor already has their next opponent set.

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UFC 306 Best Bets: Betting Preview for The Sphere

UFC 306 PicksThese are the UFC 306 best bets, a betting preview for the upcoming UFC event hosted at The Sphere…

UFC 306 Picks

These are the UFC 306 best bets, a betting preview for the upcoming UFC event hosted at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Headlining this fight card will be Sean O’Malley looking to defend his bantamweight title against the dangerous wrestler Merab Dvalishvili, and Alexa Grasso will face Valentina Shevchenko once again.

UFC 306 Best Bets

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds for UFC 306, looking for solid favorites and live underdogs. These are the best UFC 306 picks.

Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili

The main event will see “Suga” Sean O’Malley in his second title defense against the relentless wrestler Georgia’s Dvalishvili. O’Malley captured the title with an impressive knockout over the training partner of Dvalishvili then-champion Aljamain Sterling. Next, he defended his title, avenging a prior loss, in a dominant performance against Marlon “Chito” Vera.

“The Machine” is a fitting nickname for the Georgian-born wrestler Merab Dvalishvili. He is an aggressive wrestler who constantly pushes his opponents with takedowns and does not slow down over five rounds. With his wrestling acumen, he has cut through the stacked bantamweight division with impressive wins over Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo, Muay Thai strikers Petr Yan & Jose Aldo, and a win over contender Marlon Moraes, among others.

It’s easy to see why Merab Dvalishvili is the betting favorite going into this fight. Against Russia’s Yan, over five rounds, Dvalishvili attempted a whopping 49 takedowns with nearly 150 significant strikes landed, attempting an incredible 400 total strikes. In his three-round fight against Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler, and former UFC champion, Henry Cejudo “The Machine” out-wrestled his opponent and had more control time plus out-landed his opponents by a factor greater than two.

Despite being the champion Sean O’Malley will be an underdog going into this match. The ruthless wrestling of the Georgian will likely be too much for the US-born fighter. “Suga” has not had to face many wrestlers in his UFC career. Typically, to avoid takedowns, O’Malley keeps his distance and looks to land punches from range. He is a sniper he packs power over all five rounds. While Dvalishvili is a safe pick, O’Malley is a live underdog.

Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko

The co-main event of UFC 306 will see Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko face off against each other for a third time. The two just coached TUF against one another. “Bullet” Shevchenko was the long-reigning division queen having defended her title in an impressive seven bouts.

In their first meeting, Mexico’s Grasso was able to capture the division title by countering Shevchenko’s spinning backkick with a takedown and submitting her. In their second meeting, the two athletes fought to a split draw so Grasso retained the title, during a Mexican Independence Day celebration.

Given how close and well-matched these two are, the betting odds are even going into this matchup. It is too close to call for a winner and the odds are not leaning any which way. It makes it too hard to pick. Grasso has a mixed style of boxing and grappling while Shevchenko is primarily a Muay Thai striker.

Alexa Grasso faces off with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Aori Qileng

At just the age of 19, Raul Rosas Jr. has put together an impressive 4-1 record thus far in the UFC. He is a hot prospect who has been booked against “The Mongolian Murderer” Aori Qileng who is 3-3 1 NC in the UFC. Overall in MMA, Qileng is a veteran with a 25-11 record.

Raul Rosas Jr. is still a developing fighter with sharp skills who is improving in between fights. Going into his UFC 306 matchup, Rosas Jr. is a betting favorite, and for good reason. The young athlete will likely earn a win and is a fairly safe bet.

Ignacio Bahamondes vs Manuel Torres

Ignacio Bahamondes vs Manuel Torres is one of the more interesting fights on UFC 306 once we look at the odds. “La Jaula” Bahamondes is a dangerous striker with some impressive head-kick knockout wins. “El Loco” Manuel Torres is on a six-fight win streak winning all of his fights by first-round stoppage, by KO/TKO, or submission.

UFC Vegas 34

Torres is a dangerous fighter who is in a rush to finish his opponents, nearly all of his wins have come by way of submission to KO/TKO. He will pose problems on the feet for Bahamondes, who is the more popular fighter. Bahamondes is the favorite going in but Torres might be a good pick if you’re looking for a live underdog.

UFC 306 is booked for September 14 live from Las Vegas.

Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Sphere

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko Go Head-to-Head in $10k Basketball Contest

Alexa Grasso, Valentina ShevchenkoUFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and former titleholder Valentina Shevchenko squared off on the basketball court ahead of their…

Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko

UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and former titleholder Valentina Shevchenko squared off on the basketball court ahead of their Octagon trilogy.

Grasso and Shevchenko, who are scheduled to meet for the third time at UFC 306 next month, battled as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 32. The season has featured plenty of exciting moments, prospects, and drama in and out of the cage.

UFC CEO Dana White often refers to the season-to-season tradition ‘Coaches Challenge’ as his favorite part of the show. Grasso and Shevchenko competed in a sport neither is familiar with for a significant payout to themselves and their team’s fighters.

Grasso and Shevchenko, along with their TUF 32 teams, met at the practice facility of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. While White wasn’t able to attend the competition in person, he offered hosting duties to WNBA star Kelsey Plum.

The two flyweights had to make baskets from different areas of the court, and each spot had a corresponding point value. Shevchenko took a simple, yet effective approach, as she continually made baskets from inside the arc to grow an insurmountable lead.

After three time periods, Shevchenko defeated Grasso to earn $10k for herself, and $2k for each of her fighters.

Valentina Shevchenko dominates Alexa Grasso in Hoops

Watch Grasso and Shevchenko’s hoops showdown here.

Grasso retained the UFC flyweight title against Shevchenko in their Noche UFC rematch last year by split draw. She pulled off one of 2023’s biggest UFC upsets when she submitted Shevchenko by face-crank at UFC 285, ending Shevchenko’s record-setting title reign.

After their controversial rematch went Grasso’s way, Shevchenko is looking to regain the UFC flyweight title and reclaim the throne. Before the loss to Grasso at UFC 285, she won nine consecutive fights, including title-defending knockouts over Lauren Murphy and Jessica Eye.

Alexa Grasso faces off with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer

B/R Pound-for-pound UFC Rankings: August 2024

July was an action-packed month for the UFC, with a handful of exciting Fight Night cards across the U.S. and a stacked pay-per-view in Manchester, England.…

July was an action-packed month for the UFC, with a handful of exciting Fight Night cards across the U.S. and a stacked pay-per-view in Manchester, England.…

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko and more added to UFC 306

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko and more added to UFC 306An undisputed flyweight championship fight between the incumbent gold holder, Alexa Grasso, and former dominant titleholder, Valentina Shevchenko is…

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko and more added to UFC 306

An undisputed flyweight championship fight between the incumbent gold holder, Alexa Grasso, and former dominant titleholder, Valentina Shevchenko is officially slated to take co-headlining honors at UFC 306 on September 14. from The Las Vegas Sphere in Nevada later this annum.

Grasso, the current undisputed flyweight champion, will share the Octagon with Shevchenko for the third time consecutively, following a prior Noche UFC headliner back in September of last year, with the duo fighting to a controversial split decision draw.

Alexa Grasso picked as better fighter over Valentina Shevchenko ahead of UFC title rematch
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

Alexa Grasso set to fight Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 306

FIrst matching back in March of last year in the co-main event of UFC 285, Jalisco native, Alexa Grasso turned in a stunning upset win over dominant gold holder, Shevchenko, snatching the flyweight championship with a shocking fourth round face crank submission win. 

Alexa Grasso faces off with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer

And overnight, promotional CEO, Dana White confirmed how The Ultimate Fighter 32 rivals, Grasso and Shevchenko will share the Octagon in a trilogy fight at Noche UFC in two months time – with the flyweight crown once more up for grabs.

Along with the inclusion of a flyweight title fight, Noche UFC will feature an undisputed bantamweight championship pairing of Montana striker, Sean O’Malley – who looks to rack up his second successful title defense in a pairing with the surging Georgian force, Merab Dvalishvili.

Furthermore, also landing on the main card following the rescheduling of a pairing between Michel Pereira, and Anthony Hernandez – former featherweight championship challenger, Brian Ortega has been booked once more to take on Diego Lopes – following their failed pairing at UFC 303 last month. 

Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Sphere

During her run as undisputed flyweight champion, Kyrgyzstan native, Shevchenko turned in a record-setting reign at 125lbs, successfully defending the title on seven separate occasions.

Following a vacant championship win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Shevchenko turned in wins over Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Cerminara, Jennifer Maia, Jessica Andrade, Lauren Murphy, and Taila Santos. 

Who wins in their trilogy fight: Alexa Grasso or Valentina Shevchenko?

Alexa Grasso & Diego Lopes Fights Confirmed For Noche UFC Main Card At The Sphere

Mexican fan favorites Alexa Grasso and Diego Lopes will get their expected appearances at the high-profile Noche UFC event at the Sphere this Fall. After its successful inaugural celebration of Mexican Independence Day last September, Las Vegas will once again play host to the UFC’s festivities for the occasion in 2024, this time at a […]

Continue Reading Alexa Grasso & Diego Lopes Fights Confirmed For Noche UFC Main Card At The Sphere at MMA News.

Mexican fan favorites Alexa Grasso and Diego Lopes will get their expected appearances at the high-profile Noche UFC event at the Sphere this Fall.

After its successful inaugural celebration of Mexican Independence Day last September, Las Vegas will once again play host to the UFC’s festivities for the occasion in 2024, this time at a grander venue.

Instead of the T-Mobile Arena, this year’s iteration of Noche UFC will play out inside the Sphere in the form of UFC 306. Ever since vowing to stage the first live sporting event there, UFC CEO Dana White has promised a first-of-a-kind event that will leave the fanbase in awe.

And as the September 14 date fast approaches, the UFC 306 lineup has taken shape.

White revealed the main card in a social media video this week, confirming that Sean O’Malley will defend his bantamweight title in the main event opposite Merab Dvalishvili.

There will also be championship stakes in the co-headliner, as Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko complete their trilogy a year on from their Noche UFC main event concluding in a controversial draw.

Lopes, Grasso’s teammate and jiu-jitsu coach, also has a major assignment set for the Sphere. The rising featherweight was expected to feature on the card following his latest triumph at UFC 303 last month.

The Mexico-residing Brazilian got the better of Dan Ige in a same-day booking that came about following the late withdrawal of Brian Ortega due to illness.

For Noche UFC on Sept. 14, those two will attempt for their matchup to make it to the Octagon at the second time of trying, with the promotion opting to rebook Lopes against “T-City” despite talk of the former featherweight title challenger moving up in weight.

Joining those three fights on the main card will be two more Mexicans in Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez, who will share the cage with Esteban Ribovics and Ode’ Osbourne, respectively.

Meanwhile, you can check out the current fights expected to take place on the preliminary card below:

  • Manuel Torres vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
  • Irene Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
  • Edgar Chairez vs. Kevin Borjas
  • Yazmin Jáuregui vs. Ketlen Souza
  • Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng

Continue Reading Alexa Grasso & Diego Lopes Fights Confirmed For Noche UFC Main Card At The Sphere at MMA News.