Who is Alexa Grasso? Has she faced Valentina Shevchenko before UFC Fight Night 227?

Valentina Shevchenko is approaching her 16th fight inside the octagon as she prepares to recapture the UFC flyweight title from Alexa Grasso on September 16th. While hardcore MMA fans are well aware of 'Bullet's opponent, new fans of the sport may find themselves asking the question: Who is Alexa Grasso?

With a standout record of 16 wins and 3 losses, Grasso is a 30-year-old fighter who is well-versed on the feet, using her extensive boxing knowledge to overwhelm opponents. Despite her clear love for striking, the new flyweight queen is capable of impressing with her grappling as she has shown multiple times throughout her career.

The Mexican fighter has been making rapid progress in the grappling department as well. Two of her three most recent wins have come by the way of a submission, including her historic upset victory over Valentina Shevchenko. In March 2022, Alexa Grasso scored the first submission victory of her career when she locked up a rear-naked choke against Joanne Wood late into the first round.

Grasso has quietly been showcasing her dominance in the division and finds herself on a five-fight win streak that is capped by a title fight win at UFC 285.

Alexa Grasso's three career losses came against veteran Felice Herrig, the powerful Tatiana Suarez, and the former two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza. However, she has leveled up her game considerably, and her crowning as a UFC flyweight champion is a testimony to this.

After enduring a rather underwhelming 3-3 start to life in the company, the rising star has now found her feet in the cage and looks better than ever since moving up to 125 lbs. Having missed weight and being forced to withdraw from multiple bouts during her time in the strawweight division, the 30-year-old has looked healthy and rejuvenated in the upper weight class.

The Guadalajara native will attempt the first defense of her UFC flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC Fight Night 227 rematch on September 16, 2023. Alexa Grasso's first win over Shevchenko is considered among the biggest upsets in the sport's history. She will head into the fight to prove that her performance was not a fluke.

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Alexa Grasso defeated some of the most notable UFC flyweights before taking on Valentina Shevchenko

Alexa Grasso quietly crept her way up through the rankings and an amazing run of performances has granted her the chance to end the champion's reign.

Decision wins over Ji Yeon Kim, Maycee Barber, and Viviane Araujo, and a submission victory over the aforementioned Joanne Wood did enough to catch 'Bullet's' attention.

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Alexa Grasso masterfully exploited the loopholes in Shevchenko's fighting style

Shevchenko and Grasso met for the first time in the co-main event of the UFC 285 PPV event as 'Bullet' attempted to make the eighth straight defense of her throne. But Grasso used her boxing and leg kicks to repeatedly break Shevchenko's rhythm. She put together excellent combinations that tagged the former champion on several occasions.

Alexa Grasso tackled Valentina Shevchenko's attempts to take the fight to the ground with decent success. Although the optics of the fight were favoring Shevchenko, Grasso did not allow the former champion to take a massive lead.

In round four, the Mexican fighter dragged Shevchenko to the ground as she attempted a spinning back kick and forced the former champion to tap out to a painful face crank.

Both women will enter the UFC Fight Night 227 rematch with the experience of competing against each other. It will be interesting to see who solves the puzzle that the other fighter is!