Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are set to face each other again. Reports suggest that the top flyweights will have a rematch in Las Vegas on September 16. Grasso pulled off a shock victory against Shevchenko, who is considered one of the greatest fighters in women’s MMA history, to win the UFC women’s flyweight title in March.
The Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 fight is scheduled to coincide with Mexican Independence Day weekend. Grasso is the second Mexican fighter to ever become an undisputed UFC champion.
The event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena, as reported by MMA Fighting. It is expected to be a rare UFC Fight Night card that features a title fight. Televised championship bouts used to be more common in the UFC schedule, but they are now few and far between.
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Grasso won the UFC women’s flyweight title in the fourth round via submission at UFC 285. She ducked a spinning attack from Shevchenko, jumped onto her back, and secured a rear-naked choke. Since moving up a division, Grasso has a perfect 5-0 record. The loss snapped Shevchenko’s 9-0 streak since returning to women’s flyweight in 2018.
More UFC news and rumors
- Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is moving to flyweight to fight contender Manon Fiorot. The UFC announced the match for UFC Fight Night in Paris on September 2. This will be Namajunas’ first fight since losing her strawweight title in a lackluster bout against Carla Esparza. Fiorot is ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s official women’s flyweight rankings and has a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC.
- Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann will have a rematch on August 26. Smith vs. Spann 2 will take place in Singapore, according to MMA Junkie. Both fighters are looking for a change in fortune. Smith is coming off consecutive losses to Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker, while Spann suffered a first-round submission loss to Nikita Krylov in March. Smith’s last win was a Round 1 submission of Spann in September 2021.
- Rob Font, a native of Leominster, Massachusetts, will be fighting fellow top bantamweight Song Yadong in Boston. The fight is scheduled for UFC 292 on August 19. Font is coming off a spectacular first-round stoppage of Adrian Yanez, while Song has momentum after defeating Ricky Simon in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on April 29.
