Mexican UFC Champion Alexa Grasso aims to prove that her recent flyweight championship win against Valentina Shevchenko was not a fluke and is looking forward to defending her title in the rematch.
Alexa Grasso, a Mexican UFC talent, seeks to demonstrate with her UFC 285 title that her victory over Valentina Shevchenko was not a stroke of luck. In March, Grasso shocked everyone by choking “Bullet” to clinch the flyweight championship in Las Vegas. Contrary to wide margin predictions, she was not touted as the underdog for the rematch slated for September 16th. She aspires to refine her performance and dispel more skepticism.
Furthermore, Grasso expressed her ambition to capitulate her opponent either by knocking her down or by employing the rear-naked choke submission technique. She hinted that adopting such an approach doesn’t imply a stroke of luck or a flawed strategy, but rather a well-planned and clear tactic. Grasso believes the victory could be achieved by submission or knockout, but the bottom line is about winning.
Shevchenko, in her last title defense against Taila Santos, had exhibited some vulnerability and nearly lost via submission. She managed to secure a narrow victory but had been undefeated across nine consecutive flyweight matches until her combat with Grasso. The newly crowned UFC champion, Grasso, found the march bout to be more of self-realization and confidence-building ground rather than understanding her opponent’s capabilities. In her words, “I’m also strong, I’m capable, I’m not an easy fight for anyone”.
Reflecting on her journey, Grasso stated that she learned that the bigger the challenge, the harder one has to work. She explained, “I was close to that before but it didn’t happen, but now I want to submit more.” She also pointed out that submission over the champion marked the commencement of her career history. Grasso acknowledged Shevchenko’s years of hard work and was inspired to accomplish many important things Shevchenko had done. Although the rematch on Mexican Independence Day won’t happen in Mexico, the Guadalajara-born star is optimistic about it being a significant opportunity for her. She believes it’s pivotal as many people from Mexico will be able to watch it, epitomizing it as how one can really fight for their dreams.
Grasso might want her next defense to occur in her homeland, but she maintains her full commitment to the UFC, indicating her willingness to give her all. She anticipates that, with compelling performances, she can appeal for future pay-per-view events to take place in Mexico.