Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, top UFC flyweights and coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 32, continue their media tour ahead of their expected trilogy bout, recently appearing courtside at the NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament.
Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko? Might as well call ’em besties at this point.
These flyweight champs are making waves in the media. They’re prepping for their star-studded coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 32. And guess where they were spotted on Friday? At the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. They were there for the NCAA Women’s Final Four tourney, cheering on Caitlin Clark. She’s the b-ball whiz leading the Iowa Hawkeyes against the Connecticut Huskies. Before the game, Grasso and Shevchenko had a friendly faceoff. You can catch that below.
Grasso (16-3-1) is still the reigning UFC women’s flyweight champ. She snagged the belt with a jaw-dropping fourth-round submission of Shevchenko in March 2023. And she held onto it in their rematch last September. It was a nail-biter, ending in a controversial split draw at Noche UFC.
Shevchenko (23-4-1)? She was the division’s queen bee before Grasso came along. The “Bullet” had a record-breaking seven consecutive title defenses. She took down big names like Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade, Liz Carmouche, Taila Santos, and others.
What’s next for Grasso and Shevchenko? A trilogy bout, expected later this year. That’s after TUF 32 airs, kicking off in June.