Alexa
Grasso dealt with the weight of expectations years before she
authored a career-defining upset against Valentina
Shevchenko at UFC
285.
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Dana White once called Grasso the potential “Ronda
Rousey of Mexico,” a label the Lobo Gym MMA export struggled to
meet to during the ups and downs of her early career. After going
3-3 in her first six Octagon appearances, Grasso has hit her stride
with a five-bout UFC winning streak that culminated in her claiming
flyweight gold in Saturday’s co-main event.
“Imagine that. I won the most important fight of my life,” Grasso
said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I did everything I
had to do to get my hand raised, and I knew that I had to finish
the fight no matter what.”
Grasso was a considerable underdog against Shevchenko, who is
widely regarded as one of the top two or three female
pound-for-pound talents in the sport. She never appeared out of her
depth against “Bullet,” however, and that eventually set the stage
for the surprising finish.
“When I realized that I was touching her with my hands, she changed
the strategy,” Grasso said. “She was taking me to the ground. She’s
so fast, I was not able to defend. When I was on the ground, I
always told myself, you have to (get) up again and again. You won’t
stop until you get up. That’s what I did. In the fourth round, my
coaches told me lower your level a little bit and I was able to
defend better.
“I was just hoping that she was doing the spinning (attack). It was
easier to take the back in the moment. I was just waiting for the
perfect opportunity.”
When Shevchenko whiffed on a spinning back kick in Round 4, Grasso
seized the moment by quickly taking her opponent’s back and hunting
for a submission. The maneuver that forced Shevchenko to tap was
more face crank than rear-naked choke, but the squeeze was
undeniable. It was especially satisfying for Grasso, who entered
MMA known primarily for her boxing acumen.
“It feels great. I’ve been improving my jiu-jitsu for so long. This
meant a lot to me,” Grasso said. “Now I’m finishing fights. It’s
truly amazing. I truly want to finish my fights now. I’m getting
more mature, I’m getting better as a fighter. I’m showing
that.”
That improvement was reflected in her finish of Shevchenko, which
is currently the leader in the clubhouse for 2023’s “Upset of the
Year.”
“We knew that she was going to spin. Like I said, it was easier to
take the back from that position,” Grasso said. “I was just waiting
for that moment.”
Given Shevchenko’s run of excellence in the division, it’s quite
possible that a rematch will be in order. Grasso is open to the
possibility if that ends up being the UFC’s direction of
choice.
“Of course,” Grasso said. “She was so dominant in the division. Of
course we can do this again.”
Regardless of what the future might hold, Grasso made history by
becoming the first Mexican-born female champion in UFC history. It
definitely didn’t happen overnight.
“I was born and raised and trained 100 percent in Mexico,” she
said. “When we started, we were used to being told, ‘No you will
never achieve it. You will never have a belt. You will never make
it to the UFC.’ Man, we were working really hard. I have an amazing
team behind me. This is my family, my uncle, my dad, my coaches.
All my teammates are fighting five rounds. We have a lot of talent
in my gym and I’m so proud of that.”
Grasso was already well-known in her home country, but her profile
only figures to increase now that she’s a UFC champion. The
recognition is something she appreciates.
“It happens pretty often, and I’m happy that people can recognize
me,” Grasso said. “I always like that people know about me for my
dedication, my work and now for being a champion. Imagine that.
It’s great.”