Alexa Grasso says familiarity with Valentina Shevchenko makes trilogy bout "weird", but they will still "try to kill each other" at Noche UFC 306
The upcoming trilogy fight against Valentina Shevchenko will be a fierce battle, promises Alexa Grasso. The women's flyweight champion will attempt her second flyweight title defense against her predecessor Shevchenko in the Noche UFC 306 co-main event.
Grasso and Shevhchenko have been the focal point of each other's careers for over a year. The Mexican fighter defeated the all-time great by way of a fourth-round submission to capture the 125-pound title. She retained it in a split draw against 'Bullet' in their immediate rematch at Noche UFC in 2023.
The pair were also rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 this year and have become familiar with each other's personalities and fighting styles through constant preparation and interaction on the reality show.
In a recent interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Grasso said that makes their upcoming trilogy fight "weird" but they will still give their best efforts to emerge victorious:
"We've been together so many times all through [TUF]. We've been talking a lot in the show, having a lot of faceoffs... Again and again and again. I don't know. It's really, really weird. I can tell it's really weird. But at the end of the day, on fight week, and the day of the fight, things change. We are going to try to kill each other, and that's the most important thing."
Check out Alexa Grasso's comments below (7:51):
Despite the fierce competitive rivalry, Alexa Grasso has a classy take on Valentina Shevchenko
For many, Valentina Shevchenko no doubt remains the biggest threat to Alexa Grasso's flyweight title reign.
The Mexican has a lot of respect for the Kyrgyz fighter's contribution to MMA. Continuing further in the aforementioned interview with MMA Junkie, the champ said:
"It's been really cool to be able to meet her more. We were able to do a lot of stuff together. So yeah, I admire her. She has done so much. She is a big inspiration to be in this situation, doing the same things [over and over again], making history. Because we're doing something really cool." [8:17]
Noche UFC 306 is scheduled to take place on Sept. 14 at the iconic Las Vegas Sphere. The event will commemorate Mexican Independence Day and thus features several promising fighters from the country.