Tag: Alexa Grasso

Manon Fiorot wants backup role for Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko UFC title trilogy bout

Manon Fiorot is eager to ensure her next fight is for the UFC women’s flyweight title, even if that means taking it in unideal circumstance.

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] is eager to ensure her next fight is for the UFC women’s flyweight title, even if that means taking it in unideal circumstance.

With seven consecutive victories to begin her octagon tenure, Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) would typically have a title shot locked up by now. However, the string of three consecutive title fights between [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] have pushed everyone out of the immediate title conversation.

Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) and Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) are currently searching as coaches on Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and are expected to wrap up their trilogy at UFC 306, which takes place Sept. 16 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Following Fiorot’s unanimous decision victory over Erin Blanchfield in a February main event, she wants the winner of Grasso and Shevchenko. But if something happens to either one of them, whether it’s weeks out or days out, Fiorot wants to volunteer he services as a backup.

“If I have to choose, the best choice for me is to be the backup on the fight,” told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I think it’s a good thing if someone, Valentina or Alexa, have an injury or miss weight. I think the best choice for me now is to be backup for this fight so I can see the fight and perhaps do a faceoff after against the winner. … I think I deserve it.”

In addition to her victory over Blanchfield, the UFC resume of Fiorot also includes former champ Rose Namajunas and one-time title challengers Katlyn Cerminara, Jennifer Maia and Mayra Bueno Silva.

Fiorot, 34, said there’s only one other situation where she would entertain taking a fight against someone outside of the Grasso vs. Shevchenko winner, and that’s if the promotion implemented an interim belt.

“I’m the No. 1 contender for three fights in a row,” Fiorot said. “I’m pretty sure I deserve it and I’ll fight for it in my next fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Taila Santos expects Valentina Shevchenko to lose Alexa Grasso trilogy bout: ‘I think her time is passing’

Taila Santos gives her prediction for the expected trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] knows a thing or two about the elite in the UFC women’s flyweight division, and she thinks [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] is here to stay as champion.

Santos, a former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger and now PFL fighter, doesn’t think [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] will regain her title in her expected championship trilogy against Grasso later this year. The Brazilian believes that Shevchenko’s prime is becoming a thing of the past, and also thinks Grasso has figured her out.

“Alexa,” Santos told MMA Junkie in Portuguese when asked about who’d win the trilogy bout. “I think Valentina, I think her time is passing, and I think before that trilogy she should’ve accepted a fight against me again because she’s losing her grace.

“This is the third fight and Alexa already showed that Valentina has a weak point on the ground. She already finished her and (I thought) she won the second, so I think the trilogy is to just make that definite.”

Santos remains one of Shevchenko’s toughest career fights, as well as her last UFC championship win. The two fought back in 2022 and the fight ended in a split decision favoring Shevchenko.

After the title defense against Santos, Shevchenko went on to get submitted by Grasso in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. They rematch six months later, and they fought to a split draw. Now, Grasso and Shevchenko are coaching this season of The Ultimate Fighter and are expected to fight at the end of the show.

Santos likes what she’s seen from Grasso as champion, but believes she laid the blueprint to beat Shevchenko.

“Alexa Grasso is a very smart athlete and young, too,” Santos said. “After I fought Valentina, she was the next one for the opportunity and I figured that she would watch my fight against Valentina so she can analyze it and look for her weakness. Since I said that her deficiency is on the ground, and that’s where our fight went, she used that.

“She worked at it, she worked at it and was able to take the fight to the ground and finish her there. She must have studied it and looked for the same path, and that’s how she got the finish. (Grasso) is a very smart and tough fighter, and I like her game a lot.”

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Video: Are you in or out on Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko coaching the next season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter?’

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the decision to place Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko as coaches on the upcoming season of “TUF.”

[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] will run it back for a trilogy bout, but first, they will challenge each other as coaches of opposing teams on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

While it’s good that UFC women’s flyweight champ Grasso knows who her next challenger will be, there was some concern about them going through a season of “TUF” first, considering the last set of coaches in Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler have yet to meet inside the cage.

The circumstances around Grasso and Shevchenko are different though, as they have already shared the cage for a pair of title fights. The trilogy fight will likely take place soon after the new season of “TUF,” with speculation already swirling that it will headline the UFC’s event at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

How do we feel about this coaching matchup ahead of their trilogy bout?

That was a topic of discussion in this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” with Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, guest panelist “Big” John McCarthy, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch the video segment above, or watch this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.

 

Video: Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko appear friendly during ‘The Ultimate Fighter 32’ media day faceoff

Watch the first faceoff between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko as they get set to coach Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

LAS VEGAS – UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] faced off for the first time ahead of their trilogy Monday, and MMA Junkie was on the scene to capture the moment.

Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) and Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) spoke with reporters at the UFC Apex after it was announced this past weekend that they will serve as opposing coaches on Season 32 of the “The Ultimate Fighter,” with filming set to begin shortly. After the show airs, they will meet for a third time later this year, with details still to be determined.

In two previous encounters, Grasso claimed the 125-pound championship with a stunning fourth-round submission of Shevchenko in March 2023 at UFC 285. Six months later, Grasso and Shevchenko fought to a split draw in the main event of the inaugural Noche UFC event on Mexican Independence Day.

You can watch their first faceoff before “TUF 32” begins in the video above.

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Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko tapped as ‘TUF 32’ coaches with June premiere

UFC CEO Dana White has announced the next ‘Ultimate Fighter’ coaches.

“The Ultimate Fighter” is back again.

As announced Friday by UFC CEO Dana White, “TUF 32” will feature UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and former champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] with a premiere date scheduled for June 4 on ESPN.

The cast has not yet been revealed but men’s featherweights and middleweights will be featured.

Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) and Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) were expected to face each other in a trilogy fight as the division’s next title bout, though no timeline was revealed. Both are coming off injuries and will fight following the conclusion of the season.

The first meeting in March 2023 saw Grasso pull off a major betting upset over-then champion Shevchenko. The rematch took place at the promotion’s inaugural Noche UFC event in September and ended in a majority draw.

“TUF” nears its 20-year anniversary since it’s initial airing in 2004. The most recent season ran in 2023 and was coached by Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Maycee Barber plans to finish Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, rematch Alexa Grasso

Maycee Barber is still eager to run things back with UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso.

MIAMI – [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] is still eager to run things back with UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag].

Barber (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Katlyn Cerminara[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) Saturday at UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) from Kaseya Center in Miami.

Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, including a TKO of Amanda Ribas in June, Barber hopes a finish of Cerminara earns her a title shot against Grasso, who’s the most recent woman to beat her.

“Obviously, Alexa still has the belt, so it would be a title eliminator and getting a title shot,” Barber told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday.

“When I finish Katlyn the gatekeeper, for me, that really sets me up. It’s like, ‘All right, fine – she dominantly finished Katlyn, now it’s time to give her a shot.’ And I’m still coming for my rematch.”

Grasso is linked to a rubber match against Valentina Shevchenko. If the UFC does decide to go that direction, Barber doesn’t mind being the reserve for their title fight,

“Even if they do have their trilogy, if they’re scheduled to fight, I’d like to be the backup fighter. That would be great, or whatever we can make work,” Barber said. “There’s injuries, there’s things that pop up, so I’ll be ready.”

Barber is not impressed with Cerminara’s resume. All 11 of former title challenger Cerminara’s octagon wins have come by decision, and Barber plans on bringing the fight to her.

“More of what I look at is they’re decision wins,” Barber said. “They’re not finishes, they’re not dominant, they’re just decision wins. She’s doing enough to win a decision.

“All the girls that she’s fought that have gone for a finish, specifically (Jessica) Andrade, she got finished. That’s what we plan to do. We’re going to go out there and finish her. I’m not going out there to point fight with her. I’m going out there to finish her.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Video: Mexico UFC Performance Institute Q&A with Lawrence Epstein, Alexa Grasso, Duncan French

Check out the Mexico UFC Performance Institute Q&A with Lawrence Epstein, Alexa Grasso, and Duncan French.

MEXICO CITY – The UFC Performance Institute in Mexico is just a couple of months away from inauguration.

Ahead of its opening, which is expected to take place sometime in April, the promotion organized a tour and a Q&A session for the media involving Lawrence Epstein – Vice President Chief Operating Officer, [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] – UFC women’s flyweight champion, and Duncan French – Senior Vice President of the UFC Performance Institute.

This event was made in the lead up to UFC Fight Night 237, which marks the UFC’s first return to Mexico since 2019.

Above, you can watch the full Q&A.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Video: Dana White cuts ribbon at UFC Performance Institute in Mexico

UFC CEO Dana White was joined by other executives and fighters to cut the ribbon at the new UFC Performance Institute in Mexico City.

MEXICO CITY – The UFC held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest Performance Institute in Mexico during UFC Fight Night 237 fight week.

UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] with fellow executives Hunter Campbell, Lawrence Epstein, Duncan French, and several fighters including current champions [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag], participated in the event celebrating the opening of the new facility.

“This has been a dream/goal of mine for a very long time, going back to 2001,” White said moments before cutting the ribbon. “I was just saying to these guys to be walking the halls, looking at the gym – this incredible facility is amazing. I’ve wanted this for a long time, so I’m very excited. Thanks to everybody who made this happen.

“… The first facility we did in Las Vegas, then we did China, and now we’re here. It’s better and better and better and better every time we build one. Now you can honestly say that the PI in Mexico is the best Performance Institute in the UFC, without a doubt. This place is incredible. As we keep building and learning, we keep getting better.”

The facility is just a couple of months away from officially opening its doors, with a tentative date of April 12.

You can watch the full ceremony in the video above.

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24 fights on our 2024 MMA wish list: Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones (still), Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3, more

Here’s MMA Junkie’s 24-fight wishlist for the new year.

2023 didn’t disappoint in terms of great MMA action, and 2024 looks just as promising, if not more.

With 2024 underway, there’s a new year of fresh possibilities for dream matchups across the MMA landscape, from the UFC to Bellator, PFL, RIZIN FF, ONE Championship and more.

For 2023, unfortunately, only four of the 23 dream fights MMA Junkie wished for came to fruition. We’re not deterred, however, and are back with another slate of 24 matchups we aspire to see in 2024.

Below, we present MMA Junkie’s wish list of 24 fights we’d like to see in 2024.

MMA Junkie’s 2023 Coach of the Year: Francisco Grasso

Coach Francisco Grasso left a big imprint in MMA, as he was responsible for some of the biggest moments this 2023.

The name [autotag]Francisco Grasso[/autotag] probably didn’t ring a bell entering 2023, but leaving the past calendar year, it’s associated with UFC gold and Mexican MMA history.

Francisco, or better known as “Pancho,” truly let his work speak for himself. In a sport where media attention or public narrative often sways the appreciation of fighters or moments in time, Francisco left a big imprint in 2023 without ever doing an English-language interview and very limited interviews in Spanish.

Francisco had his hand in many important moments this 2023, but most notably he made history with his niece – [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]. Under the tutelage of Francisco, Alexa became the first-ever Mexican female champion in the UFC, and they did it when many thought it was impossible.

Alexa was up against an all-time great, one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, regardless of gender and weight class. Alexa and her team, led by Francisco, had the tough task of dethroning Valentina Shevchenko, who at that point had seven consecutive title defenses and had never lost at flyweight.

The Grasso bloodline ended up pulling off one of the biggest upsets of 2023, and made history for their home country. Against all odds, Alexa submitted Shevchenko in March at UFC 285. It was a remarkable moment that highlighted the great work being done at Lobo Gym in Guadalajara. The two would return six months later in September to fight Shevchenko to a draw.

Even though it wasn’t a win, the fact that Grasso retained her belt and fought Shevchenko in a highly competitive decision, proved that the upset in March was no fluke and that Francisco and his team had truly leveled up to a world-class gym.

Francisco’s work as a coach was responsible for MMA Junkie’s Female Fighter of the Year and one of the biggest upsets as well. It’s incredible how much impact Lobo Gym had in MMA, given it’s not in a country with a strong history in MMA and is relatively small compared to titans such as American Top Team, AKA, Kill Cliff, and others.

On top of the historic win of Alexa, other results accompanied Francisco’s success as a coach in 2023. It wasn’t Alexa’s rise alone:

Diego Lopes

Francisco was responsible for MMA Junkie’s Female Fighter of the Year, and also MMA Junkie’s Newcomer of the Year.

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] had a huge impact in 2023 and enters 2024 as one of the most interesting prospects. Working with Francisco as both a fighter and assistant coach, Lopes showed brilliance every second he was in the octagon.

He gave a wild, Fight of the Night against unbeaten title contender Mosvar Evloev, a fight he took on 4 days’ notice. Following his debut, Lopes picked up a first-round submission win over Gavin Tucker in August and then a first-round KO over Pat Sabatini in November. He won $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses in both finishes.

Loopy Godinez

[autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag] made history with Lobo Gym in 2023. She became the woman with the most wins in a calendar year, having her hand raised four times in the octagon.

Francisco took Loopy Godinez under his wing mid-2023, but Godinez had worked part-time with Lobo Gym for fights earlier in the year. There’s no denying that Godinez turned a corner with Lobo Gym, as she looked highly dominant and got herself in the top 10 of the UFC official strawweight rankings with her win over Tabatha Ricci in November.

Irene Aldana

Francisco got top UFC women’s bantamweight contender [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] to challenge Amanda Nunes for her title at UFC 289. Certainly, it was a disappointing performance from Aldana, who was dominated from bell to bell. However, people forget that just getting to a UFC title fight alone is a big achievement few fighters accomplish in their careers.

Aldana would return to UFC 296 in December to redeem herself and defeat Karol Rosa while delivering arguably the best female fighter of the year.

Alessandro Costa

[autotag]Alessandro Costa[/autotag] picked up a big win over Jimmy Flick in June, putting him away with some nasty elbows. He then took on ranked fighter Steve Erceg and lost a competitive decision. Although Costa closed out the year with a loss, he still shows promise in the UFC’s flyweight division.

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