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Alexa Grasso, newly crowned champion in the UFC's women's flyweight division, has her sights set on a rematch with champion Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso is hoping to face Shevchenko in September, ideally in her home country of Mexico.
Grasso and Shevchenko first faced off in March of 2023 at UFC 285, with Grasso emerging as the clear winner surprisingly via submission due to a rear-naked choke in the 4th round of impressive performance. However, Grasso believes that she has learned from that loss, and is ready to give another chance to the former champion.
Shevchenko suffered his first defeat in his illustrious flyweight career at the end, and after the fight, the former champion demanded a rematch right away. Shevchenko, who had made seven successful defenses preceding UFC 285, will probably receive that chance, and she is more than willing to accept.
Alexa Grasso hinted at a showdown with former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko for the upcoming September event on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. Mexico's Independence Day, which also falls on a Saturday this year, is celebrated on September 16. In some kind of a perfect scenario, the UFC would indeed come to host its first pay-per-view in Mexico since UFC 188 in 2015.
“I don’t know the chances, but I would love, I would love, I truly would love for this second fight to be in Mexico,” Grasso said. “And I would love that this fight could happen in Guadalajara. Imagine that. Canelo’s going to fight here in Guadalajara. Imagine to bring the UFC to my city, that would be huge. But if it’s Mexico City, that would be great too.”
"September sounds like a great [time to come back]. September sounds amazing, you know? But yeah, let's see. Of course, before the end of this year, I would like to fight. Like I said - two fights every year sounds good. And yeah, I truly hope that this [can be done] in Mexico."
The conditions of the battle and the intention for a quick rematch only increase this ambition. Shevchenko appeared to be in a strong position to keep her championship even though the battle remained close the entire time. However, Grasso reversed a mistimed spinning kick by grabbing Shevchenko's back, which resulted in the fight-ending submission. She is now preparing to repeat it to solidify her position as champion.
“I’m truly excited for the second fight and I also know that people will love to see it because a lot of people say it was a mistake from her and it was a fluke,” Grasso said. “Of course, I don’t think it was a fluke because I trained so much for that [move], but I think it’s going to be important to show everyone that I’m the champion.”
Fans of the UFC will surely be keeping an eye on Grasso's progress and if a rematch with Shevchenko does happen, it is sure to be one of the most anticipated fights of the year considering the sharpness of the Mexican champion.
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