Tag: Noche UFC

Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko have tense verbal exchange ahead of Noche UFC

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko can’t agree on who was winning in striking at UFC 285 back in March.

LAS VEGAS – The build up to the title rematch between [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] has mainly been a tranquil one, but things heated up Thursday afternoon.

Grasso and Shevchenko battle in an immediate rematch this Saturday in the main event of Noche UFC, which goes down at the T-Mobile arena. During a Q&A moderated by former UFC fighter Gilbert Melendez at the MGM, Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Shevchenko (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) had their first tense verbal exchange.

When asked about her preparation ahead of Saturday’s event, Grasso mentioned how she took some positives from the first fight back in March at UFC 285 – something Shevchenko didn’t like.

“I did a lot of adjustments for the second fight,” Grasso said. “We already shared the octagon 20 minutes together, and we also felt what we can bring to the table, and I will do everything to keep the fight on my feet. I was doing pretty well and that first round was amazing, and I’m going to bring everyone an amazing fight this Saturday.”

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Contrary to Grasso, Shevchenko thinks she had control of the fight all the way until she was submitted by Grasso, and she made that immediately known.

“I didn’t have to learn anything from the loss because Alexa, you’re saying you were doing pretty well, but I’m saying not enough for the victory,” Shevchenko said. “It’s a good point because if you see all four rounds, I was winning the fight on my side before what happened.

“It’s kind of a moment to work double hard and remember what you did in the beginning. It’s kind of like yes, everyone is speaking about the loss, but I want to remind everyone I’m a 17-time Muay Thai world champion, seven (UFC) title defenses, and you can’t get rid of this. It’s going to stay in you forever. You can do adjustments and do better and whatever you want to do, but the power the confidence and experience it’s still here, and it’s going to explode on Saturday.”

Grasso fired back. She was adamant that she was giving Shevchenko a competitive fight – and beyond that, beating the striking standout at her own game.

“Well, round one was definitely mine,” Grasso said. “The second round, even being a Muay Thai champion, I thought you wanted to strike with me, but you decided to go to the ground, so it’s fine. Fourth round, I made a lot of adjustments and I think it was 2-2. For me, it was 2-2.”

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

Henry Cejudo highlights Alexa Grasso’s strengths ahead of Valentina Shevchenko rematch: ‘She can crack like a dude’

Henry Cejudo thinks Alexa Grasso’s power is underrated ahead of her Noche UFC main event title rematch with Valentina Shevchenko.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]’s power is underrated.

Flyweight champion Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) rematches [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in Saturday’s Noche UFC main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Although Grasso dethroned Shevchenko by submission, Cejudo says her power at flyweight is unmatched.

“Alexa Grasso, what are her strengths? Her strengths right now, for Alexa Grasso, is the power,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “(She has) power in her hands, and particularly in the sport of boxing. This girl has a left hook. I remember drilling with her, going with her.

“She can throw hands. She can crack like a dude. This is why I’m a bit surprised she only has four KOs. But the power in her hands is what actually makes Alexa Grasso dangerous to all these girls at flyweight.”

Cejudo sees Shevchenko’s key to victories as distance, movement, implementing kicks, and her ability to make adjustments. As for Grasso, Cejudo says she has to keep it on her feet if she wants to get her hand raised again.

“I think the biggest thing for her is going to be her patience,” Cejudo said. “Followed up with her patience, is going to be her power. Crazy right hands, crazy left hooks – this girl can crack. The third key is, can she keep it striking?

“Can she keep it on her feet against a girl like Valentina Shevchenko? If Alexa Grasso could be patient, find the right timing for her power, and keep it on her feet, I do believe that we could potentially say, ‘And still.'”

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

Video: What to expect from the Alexa Grasso-Valentina Shevchenko rematch at Noche UFC

Alexa Grasso pulled off a stunner earlier this year to become champion. That might have been the easy part. Saturday, she gets a true test.

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[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] pulled off a stunner earlier this year to become champion.

That might have been the easy part. Saturday, she gets a true test. Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on the woman she submitted to win the women’s flyweight title, [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC), who before that had a dominant and long reign as champ. They headline Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Grasso had to have figured if she upset Shevchenko, she’d be looking at a rematch for her first title defense. That’s exactly what happened. What will Shevchenko have done to make adjustments? And what will Grasso have done to nullify those adjustments?

Will the fight play out the same as the first one, or do we throw that one out the window?

This week’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura break it all down with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

https://www.youtube.com/live/mkWi8C3IqD0

Fernando Padilla excited for historic Noche UFC event to show off his evolution

Fernando Padilla knows there’s a chance you’re wondering what he’s doing on the main card of a UFC show. Give him a shot to show you.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Fernando Padilla[/autotag] knows there’s a chance you’re wondering what he’s doing on the main card of a UFC show.

After all, he’s only one fight into his UFC tenure, and there are fighters on the prelims with a lot more time in the company than him. But with the opportunity in front of him, he is planning on using the spotlight to show why he was in it to begin with.

“I’m excited to put a performance for you guys,” Padilla said at Wednesday’s Noche UFC media day in Las Vegas. “I’m going to show you guys why I deserve to be there. I know a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, why is he on the main card? Why is this?’ But hey: I’m going to show you guys.”

Padilla (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on Kyle Nelson (14-5-1 MMA, 2-4-1 UFC) in a featherweight scrap to open the main card at Noche UFC, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegsa. The event streams on ESPN+.

The event isn’t a numbered pay-per-view, but it’s at T-Mobile Arena and a title fight with a Mexican champion atop the lineup. It’s a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day, and before the show even happens, there are calls for it to be an annual UFC event.

“History, brother – history in the making. I’m so, so, so, so happy to be able to have my name in this part of history,” Padilla said. “It’s the first one ever for Sept. 16 (and Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month). I’m excited to be there.

“When I came to the United States, it wasn’t just for myself. It wasn’t just for my family and for those of my friends or for those who train. I always carry Mexico with me. It’s a weight and a responsibility. Mexico is always with me. It’s something that we carry with this and we’re always going to represent no matter what happens. I will continue to represent Mexico forever.”

Check out Padilla’s full media day interview above.

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

MMA Junkie Radio #3396: Noche UFC breakdown, Bellator announcements, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,396, the guys look ahead to this weekend’s Noche UFC, where [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] will defend her flyweight title for the first time in an immediate rematch against [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]. They also discuss the latest Bellator announcements, and other MMA news. Tune in!

Terrance Mitchell looking to ‘stop the train’ of Raul Rosas Jr. at Noche UFC

Terrance Mitchell plans to make a statement against Raul Rosas Jr. at Noche UFC in Las Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS – Although UFC bantamweight [autotag]Terrance Mitchell[/autotag] has a lot of respect for Raul Rosas Jr., he will be looking to completely stop the hype at Noche UFC.

The bantamweight showdown serves as the penultimate bout of the event at T-Mobile Arena, which is expected to be filled with Mexican fans in celebration of Mexican Independence Day. Rosas Jr. (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will have the support of the crowd, but Mitchell (14-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) won’t be deterred by that, or the age gap between them.

“He’s 18, I think 19 now, youngest guy on the roster – I respect it a lot,” Mitchell told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’ve been working my ass off to get here and to be here. So, I respect it that he’s already here, but I’m looking to take all his fans, all his shine. I think he has a bright future ahead of him, but I’m looking to stop the train, right here, right now.

Both fighters will be looking to rebound from losses; Mitchell to Cameron Saaiman in July and Rosas Jr. to Christian Rodriguez in April. For Mitchell, he took his last fight on short notice, but despite the setback against another young rising star, he took the loss as a moment to learn.

On Saturday, Mitchell can’t wait to show off what he’s been working on against an opponent he feels he has an edge on in all departments.

“I think I bring a lot more power than he’s used to,” Mitchell said. “I think when I touch him, it’s going to be different. When we’re wrestling he’s going to be like, ‘Man, this guy’s strong.’ So I’m looking to really just dominate the fight, win the fight every which way.”

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

Erin Blanchfield: Noche UFC main event rematch with Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko is a coin flip – unless Shevchenko adjusts

Erin Blanchfield thinks Valentina Shevchenko could underestimate Alexa Grasso again in the Noche UFC main event title fight in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] could end up underestimating [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] again.

Shevchenko (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) will look to reclaim her flyweight title from champion Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday’s Noche UFC headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Grasso stunned Shevchenko when she dethroned her by Round 4 submission at UFC 285 in March. Shevchenko is adamant that she merely made a mistake, and Blanchfield thinks her attitude could cost her.

“I didn’t expect that much out of Alexa,” Blanchfield said in an interview with New York Post. “She’s a great game-planner, which I really admired about her in the first fight. She stuck to the game plan, and I felt like she was definitely losing the fight, but she had drilled taking the back off that spinning back kick probably over and over and she hit it perfectly.

“Maybe she’ll have a couple new tricks for this fight. I feel like Valentina’s maybe a little bit better of a fighter, but I don’t think she necessarily game-plans or gives her opponents enough respect sometimes. I don’t know if she’s going to make the adjustments. If she does, I feel like she could win. If she doesn’t, I can see Alexa winning. I feel like it’s a little bit up in the air.”

Blanchfield (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is in a two-woman race for a title shot alongside Manon Fiorot. Blanchfield is coming off a win over Taila Santos, whereas Fiorot recently defeated former champion Rose Namajunas.

Just like Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) wasn’t too impressed with Blanchfield’s recent win, Blanchfield expected more out of Fiorot.

“I thought she was going to maybe put more of a beating on her,” Blanchfield said. “The fight was pretty even. I feel like they were both getting pretty tired. She used her reach, she used her distance and her takedown defense to win that fight. I feel like she did what she had to do, but it was a tougher fight for her than I expected.”

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

Noche UFC’s Daniel Zellhuber motivated by Sean Strickland’s upset title win

If Daniel Zellhuber has some extra pep in his step this week at Noche UFC in Las Vegas, there’s a good reason why: Sean Strickland.

LAS VEGAS – If [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag] has some extra pep in his step this week, there’s a good reason why.

They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and the tide rose really high this past Saturday when Sean Strickland upset Israel Adesanya at the UFC 293 main event in Sydney to win the middleweight title. And that could mean big things for some of his teammates at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas – including Zellhuber.

“I was in with my manager, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Zellhuber said at Wednesday’s media day for Noche UFC in Las Vegas. “The way that Sean won that fight was something pretty amazing. We share head coach Eric (Nicksick). I just worked out today in the morning with Eric and the energy was different having a coach that just made his second UFC champ. Having all the trust of him that I’m going to be there at some point, it just gives me something extra that I don’t know how to explain.”

Zellhuber (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on Saturday takes on Christos Giagos (20-10 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in a lightweight bout on the main card at Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

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Mexico’s “Golden Boy,” Zellhuber will be fighting on the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month card, and he’ll be trying use that energy to help push him to a second straight win. In April, he outworked Landon Vannata to rebound from the first loss of his career, which came in his UFC debut.

But he’s not discounting that energy from Strickland’s win over Adesanya and said Strickland gets a bad rap compared to what he’s experienced behind the scenes.

“I feel that some people have like this bad idea of him being a gym bully,” Zellhuber said. “He’s not like that. He’s actually, in his weird way, a good person. He’s in all the sparring sessions that I have. He has always something to say – again, in his way. But he always has something to say to us to show (a new way). He’s really always there to share something.

“He’s a good training partner. You need to earn his respect. I feel that if you just walk out in the gym and just say like, ‘Hey, I’m going to train,’ he’s just going to f*cking beat you up. But if you win the respect of him, and he sees you working and really trying to get better, he’s going to help. That’s Sean Strickland.”

Check out Zellhuber’s full media day interview above.

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

Canada’s Kyle Nelson aims to win over Mexican fans again at Noche UFC

Kyle Nelson has won over a pro-Mexico crowd before, and he will look to do it against against Fernado Padilla at Noche UFC.

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LAS VEGAS – Canadian UFC featherweight Kyle Nelson is no stranger to fighting in hostile territory.

At Noche UFC, Nelson (14-5-1 MMA, 2-4-1 UFC) will once again experience being on the receiving end of jeers from the crowd when he takes on Mexico’s Fernando Padilla (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC). While this fight takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the expectation is that the arena will be filled with fans cheering for the Mexican fighters as the event celebrates Mexican Independence Day.

It won’t be the first time Nelson has been in this situation. In fact, he got the full experience of a real Mexican crowd when he fought Polo Reyes in Mexico City, Mexico. But he loved every minute of it because when it was all said and done, he was able to win the fans over with his fighting style. He aims to do it again this Saturday.

“Yeah, I mean it’s always different going into somebody else’s hometown. … But it was definitely kind of something refreshing in Mexico when I was able to win over the crowd, and they did appreciate a good performance and a good fight,” Nelson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I think there’s maybe crowds in certain areas where you could go and you could put on the best fight ever, but if you beat their hometown guy, they’re going to hate you no matter what.

“Whereas I feel like the Mexican fans, they appreciate combat sports with the long history of boxing and stuff like that. They’re not going to be biased towards me after the fight. If I put on a good fight, an honorable fight, then I think I’ll win a lot of them over.”

Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen. Regardless, Nelson is excited to once again compete in a packed house, and not the intimate setting of the UFC Apex with a much, much lower seating capacity.

“It was interesting to fight at the Apex, and it’s cool because you could hear your corner so well,” Nelson said. “It’s definitely a different experience and I enjoyed it while it happened, but there’s something different about having a crowd there. Whether they’re your hometown crowd or any away crowd, having the people there definitely does give you a certain amount of energy.”

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

Christos Giagos: Daniel Zellhuber talented, but ‘there’s a lot of room for improvement’

Christos Giagos thinks Daniel Zellhuber is still a little green, and he’s looking to exploit that.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Christos Giagos[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag] is still a little green, and he’s looking to exploit that.

Giagos (20-10 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets Zellhuber (13-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in Saturday’s Noche UFC main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Zellhuber, 24, has competed twice in the octagon since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Giagos thinks he’ll have the advantage wherever the fight goes.

“I think he’s very talented,” Giagos told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “He’s young and there’s a lot of room for improvement, but I think I match up really well with him because I’m well-rounded. I’m good everywhere.

“I feel like anywhere the fight goes, I’d have the advantage. I feel like I’m the stronger puncher, my ground game is going to be better, my wrestling is going to be better. I think it’s going to be a great matchup.”

Giagos has had two stints in the octagon, and has fought the likes of former champion Charles Oliveira and top contender Arman Tsarukyan. He expects his experience to play a major factor.

“I think it’s very important,” Giagos said. “I think it gives me a huge advantage. I’ve been in there with the best in the world, literally. I’ve made my mistakes, I’ve grown from them, I’ve learned from them.

“I think it gives me a huge advantage and I just think overall, it makes me a little smarter in the cage because I’ve made those mistakes so I know how to capitalize not making them again. I’ve learned from my past, so I think it gives me a huge advantage.”

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