Alexa Grasso: Valentina Shevchenko relationship in 'really, really weird' place ahead of UFC 306 trilogy

Alexa Grasso has never had as much interaction with an opponent as she had Valentina Shevchenko ahead of their trilogy fight at UFC 306.

After fighting twice in 2023, Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) and Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) served as coaches on Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, where they spent several weeks in close quarters. It’s been a respectful relationship between the two sides since the first time they fought, but the competitive animosity after two results has grown under the surface.

At this point, Grasso struggles to describe her relationship with Shevchenko. She can only say it’s unusual in comparison to other experiences to this point in her fighting career.

“We’ve been so many times together,” Grasso told MMA Junkie on Monday in an interview facilitated by Stake.com. “All through the show. We had a lot of faceoffs. Again and again and again. I don’t know. It’s really, really weird. I can tell it’s really weird. But at the end of the day, on fight week, and the day of the fight, things change. We are going to try to kill each other and that’s the most important thing. It’s really cool to be able to meet with her more. We were able to do a lot of stuff together.”

What Grasso can hold Shevchenko in high regard about their fight, however, is the fact they are about to do something unprecedented. Their co-main event clash on the Sept. 14 card, also known as Riyadh Season Noche UFC at Sphere in Las Vegas, will be the first UFC title fight to ever take place at Sphere. Moreover, it will mark the first women’s trilogy bout in UFC history.

Grasso wouldn’t want anyone other than Shevchenko to be her dance partner in this situation.

“She has done so much and is a really big inspiration to be in this stage and doing these things making history,” Grasso said. “We are doing something really cool. The first women’s trilogy. The first fight was amazing. The second fight was so, so amazing. You can expect the third fight is going to be a hell of a fight.”

In the first fight at UFC 285 in March 2023, Grasso pulled off what was considered at the time to be a shocking upset by fourth-round submission. An immediate rematch was booked for September 2023, and it ended in a controversial and rare split draw. Many felt Shevchenko should’ve got the nod on the scorecards, but a highly-criticized 10-8 scorecard for Grasso in Round 5 from judge Mike Bell left the fight with no winner.

Now everything is on the line for the trilogy fight, and Grasso said the onus is on Shevchenko to adapt and come after her belt.

“She has a style where she waits too much,” Grasso said. “She’s just going back and back and back. I don’t think that’s a good (idea). If you want to get your belt back, I don’t think that’s the way to do that. If you want the belt you have to go for it. I would love that. I love to exchange. I love battles. But she has a fighting style where she’s going back, back, back – I’m not sure that’s going to work. I know exactly what I need to do to secure my win. I hope that she can do more exchanges and go forward and chase that belt.”

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