“I thought you wanted to strike…” Alexa Grasso savagely shuts down Valentina Shevchenko boasting 17 Muay Thai championships’ ahead of UFC Noche

The upcoming UFC event, strategically scheduled to coincide with Mexican Independence Day, promises to be an exciting spectacle featuring Alexa Grasso in the main event.

“I thought you wanted to strike…” Alexa Grasso savagely shuts down Valentina Shevchenko boasting 17 Muay Thai championships’ ahead of UFC Noche

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko headline UFC Noche(Image via Imago)

UFC Noche is strategically scheduled to coincide with Mexican Independence Day. The event promises to be an exciting title fight featuring Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko in the main event. This timing adds cultural significance to the event.

The main event is a rematch that follows their previous encounter at UFC 285 in March 2023. Grasso secured a surprising fourth-round submission victory over Shevchenko, capturing the championship title. The two fighters have already exchanged barbs during the Noche: UFC Pre-fight panel. When the former champion said, “I want to remind everyone, 17-time World Muay Thai champion, 7 title defenses. You cannot get rid of this.” Grasso replied, “Being a Muay Thai champion,I thought you wanted to be on striking with me, but you decided to go to the ground.”

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Alexa Grasso is the only remaining Mexican champion in the UFC. With Yair Rodriguez and Brandon Moreno already losing their belt, the impetus is on Grasso to keep the Mexican dream alive. Rodriguez lost to Alexander Volkanovski while Moreno was defeated by Alexandre Pantoja. Dana White and the UFC even made a customized belt for the Mexican champion. With the UFC building a PI in Mexico, the need for a Mexican champion is necessary and Grasso is the best chance they got.

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The co-main event of UFC Noche features a welterweight bout between Jack Della Maddalena and Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland. The fight was supposed to take place at UFC 293. High taxes in Australia were presumably the reason for the fight not taking place there. Recently, a UFC fighter criticized the Australian government for the high taxes they impose on the fight purse.

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When Alexa Grasso became the women’s flyweight champion at UFC 285

Alexa Grasso
Grasso submitting Shevchenko at UFC 285 (Image Courtesy -The Mirror)

UFC 285 will be remembered for one of the most remarkable upsets in the promotion’s history. Alexa Grasso secured a shocking victory over dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 285. Grasso clinched the UFC women’s flyweight championship with a rear naked choke submission in the fourth round.

The dramatic turn of events unfolded when Shevchenko missed a spinning back-kick, allowing Grasso to take the back. Grasso and her team were waiting for the moment to pounce on the then-champion. The squeeze of the Mexican was unbelievable as Shevchenko’s face was reddish. This unexpected victory ended Valentina Shevchenko‘s lengthy reign as the UFC women’s flyweight champion.

Earlier at UFC 269, the long-reigning double champion, Amanda Nunes lost in a similar manner to Juliana Pena. However, Nunes won back the title at UFC 277 and following her victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289, retired from MMA. However, It remains to be seen what Shevchenko could do at UFC Noche.

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