Alexa Grasso looks to put the final nail in a rivalry while Valentina Shevchenko looks to reestablish herself as the best at UFC 306 (Noche UFC).
The champ is UNBEATEN in her last six fights 😤@AlexaGrasso looks to defend the flyweight title at #UFC306 !
[ @RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC LIVE on @ESPNPlus PPV | SAT | 10pmET/7pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/PrWV6So3eE
— UFC (@ufc) September 12, 2024
To look back on the six months between Alexa Grasso’s first fight for the title and her first title defense is nothing short of remarkable. In March she was the heavy underdog whose demise was a foregone conclusion, and in September she owned the spotlight and ascended to her role as the centerpiece of the newest marquee night on the UFC calendar. Now in 2024, she remains the UFC’s only Mexican champion and will be carrying that distinction at an event that company CEO Dana White has said will be a celebration of the history of combat sports in Mexico.
Grasso’s triumph over the highly regarded longtime champion is considered one of the most seminal upsets in UFC history, and it was the crowing moment of a run that also saw her record victories over veterans such as current top contender Maycee Barber, Joanne Wood, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. But while she’s enjoyed a year of being the queen of the flyweights, Saturday will see her grant her familiar foe a second chance to regain her title. Furthermore, a victory will test her talent and resolve as it will poise her to face the growing contenders in the wings where a surging Frenchwoman and talented former strawweight champion await her.
Valentina Shevchenko has been the gold standard in women’s MMA for so long that to fathom the fact that she went without a victory last year is mind-boggling. It has led to a bevy of questions, the main one being whether or not age and the sheer amount of mileage she’s accumulated between her decorated careers in Muay Thai and MMA have simply caught up to her as the competition remains younger and fresher? Outwardly, she’s not given any indication that her recent skid is a sign of changing times in terms of her desire to continue competing. If anything, her layoff since the previous year has perhaps given her the best opportunity to rest and rehabilitate any lingering injuries.
¡Listas para entrar al octágono! 👊
🇲🇽 @AlexaGrasso vs @BulletValentina
[ #UFC306 at @RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC en vivo ahora en @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/JcBDT8v144
— UFC (@ufc) September 14, 2024
But Saturday’s highly touted stage is a different one for “Bullet”. With other contenders in a great moment of their own careers, even the title changing hands may not be enough to help Shevchenko get back into the title picture in the near future were she to take another loss. It is an unenviable position for any veteran. To her credit, the fact that her last fight with Grasso was ruled a draw should give her confidence that she can deliver the performance she needs to reclaim the title and even the score. For what it’s worth, she and Grasso came off The Ultimate Fighter even as well with both women having a tournament winner from their respective teams.
Manon Fiorot, by virtue of her victories over Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield, is expected to be the next title challenger following UFC 306. Maycee Barber would be right behind her, but persistent struggles with her health likely mean that she’s facing an extended layoff until they’re resolved in which case the winner of the upcoming bout between the aforementioned Namajunas and Blanchfield would be the next in line if Fiorot is unavailable to fight the winner between Grasso and Shevchenko.
