Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko to meet in flyweight title rematch on Sept. 16
Flyweight champion Alexa Grasso will get her opportunity to follow up on her upset of the year candidate victory over Valentina Shevchenko by defending her title against the former champion on Sept. 16 in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White confirmed Thursday to Yahoo Sports.
The fight was first reported by "The Schmo."
Grasso was a massive underdog when she fought Shevchenko on March 4 in the co-main event of UFC 284. Shevchenko missed a spinning back kick in the fourth round and Grasso immediately took her back and locked in a rear naked choke. Shevchenko tapped at 4:34 of the fourth, giving Grasso the title and the biggest upset of the year in the UFC to this point.
Shevchenko had won nine in a row and 11 of 12 going into the fight at T-Mobile Arena with Grasso, and was over a 9-1 favorite. Grasso was confident, though, that she could end Shevchenko's reign and she pulled it off. Shevchenko was ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound in the UFC at the time behind only Amanda Nunes.
Now, Grasso is ranked No. 1 by the UFC, with Shevchenko having remained at No. 2. In the Yahoo Sports rankings, ex-bantamweight champion Julianna Peña is first, followed by Grasso and Shevchenko.
The bout is expected to be a UFC Fight Night, but the venue isn't clear at this point. UFC 293 will be held on Sept. 9 in Sydney, Australia.