UFC women’s flyweight champion, Alexa Grasso has highlighted The Sphere in Las Vegas as her ‘dream’ venue for her future title defense against Valentina Shevchenko.
Alexa Grasso first met Valentina Shevchenko in the Octagon back at UFC 285 last year, when she pulled off one of the biggest upsets in title fight history, submitting ‘Bullet’ in round four.
The Mexican champion then honored Shevchenko with a rematch six months later, where they fought to a split draw on the UFC’s first-ever Noche UFC event, on Mexican Independence Day.
The promotion later announced that the two flyweights would coach against each other in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, with a date for their trilogy unconfirmed.
Grasso vs Shevchenko 3 set to make UFC history
When the two do finally face off for the third time, their fight will make history being the first women’s trilogy fight in the promotion’s 30-year history.
Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena were originally set to be the first women’s trilogy in the UFC when they were scheduled to fight in June last year. Pena, though, withdrew from the fight with their rivalry never fully culminating.
The aforementioned bantamweights also coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter, headlining season 30, being the first female fighters to coach on the series since Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha did so back in 2016.
After the UFC announced they would host UFC 306 – set for Mexican Independence Day, September 16 – at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Grasso highlighted it as her ‘dream’ event to defend her title on.
Alexa Grasso wants history-making fight at The Sphere
TKO Group Holdings President, Mark Shapiro, said during a financial update call recently, that UFC 306 at The Sphere, will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, and will be the only time they hold an event at the venue.
Despite its popularity, The Sphere wasn’t built to host combat sports events, and it is unknown what technical problems may occur in the lead-up to the September 16 date.
With The Sphere being one and done, Alex Grasso wants to make sure she is part of the history-making event and wants to settle her trilogy with the 36-year-old challenger at UFC 306.
“Hopefully it happens (at UFC 306), I’m crossing my fingers for that to happen.” Grasso told The Schmo. “It will be the first MMA event in The Sphere, also the first women’s trilogy in the UFC and we both coached TUF.
“It will be a dream come true if that fight can happen on that day, in that place.” the Mexican added.
The 30-year-old may not be favored for the main event, though, as UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has been campaigning for his title defense against Merab Dvalishvili to take place on the blockbuster event.
Alexa Grasso reveals her biggest takeaway from filming TUF
With season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter set to air on June 4, filming has concluded and the current flyweight champion has revealed what her biggest takeaway was from the experience.
“Doing The Ultimate Fighter was amazing, I learned a lot, more about being a coach because often as an athlete we think that the coaches are making us do this and that, but once you have the opportunity to give advice and say to someone what to do, what not to do.
“There was a day where I just hugged my coaches and I was crying like, ‘Hey thank you so much for everything you do for us and for me’ because it’s really cool to be a coach and I learned the most to be a better athlete.” Grasso added.
Grasso trains at Lobo Gym in Guadalajara, Mexico, and is head-coached by her uncle, Franciso Grasso.