UFC 306: Analyzing the Exclusive Stake.com Interview with Alexa Grasso
Rejoice fighting sports fans, it is time for another edition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which means another spectacle. Mixed martial arts are more popular than ever, evident by the ecstasy surrounding every primetime event the company does. The latest one is coming up quickly as it is mere days before we are glued to our screens, the lucky ones watching in the stands, as some of the best MMA fighters look for glory.
A lot will be on the line as some exciting fights await. Most importantly for this article, Alexa Graso will be fighting Valentina Shevchenko in their third duel, another championship match to either keep the title or relinquish it to its previous owner. The fans and sports betting enthusiasts are eager for their upcoming third matchup. In this article, we take a closer look at what Grasso, the reigning champion of the women’s Flyweight category Alexa Grasso, had to say in her exclusive interview with Stake.com.
The fight is the second main card bout, just after the titular Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili. The two ladies met for the first time in March of 2023 at UFC 285 when Grasso won the title. Then they fought at the aforementioned UFC Fight Night in September of the same year, a split draw. Fans are hungry for a win this time around, but who will prevail? Let us see what she had to say and what kind of predictions we can draw from it.
What Was the Interview About?
Stake sat down with the MMA legend, who is also a Stake UFC Ambassador, to talk the upcoming event as well as her career and life in general. It is a big moment in her sports career and the perfect moment for her to share what has been going through her mind in recent months. The Mexican talked in detail about the rivalry she has with her Kyrgyzstani/Peruvian colleague, as well as what an honor it is to again be part of the Noche night. An inspiration for the next generation of aspiring Mexican girls, she knows what she represents and how much of a role model she can be.
Speaking of her home country and the MMA growth in Mexico, Grasso claimed that “Right now Jiu-Jitsu tournaments are full […]. Some even have main events fights which feature women.” Of course, this is great for the sport, for the fans, and for the fighting sports betting in the country. The more diverse the sport is and the more markets it is dominant in, the better and more frequent the events can be.
When it comes to her rivalry with her upcoming fighter and what she expects from the fight, Grasso revealed that she always wanted to be successful like her, fight her, and beat her. “Even when I was […] in the flyweight division, Valentina Shevchenko was always the goal”. This speaks volumes and shows us how she looks at her role model turned rival. Interestingly, she does not agree with the decision that their second match was a draw. “I thought I won the rematch,” she says. Commenting on their current relationship outside of the ring and what can the fans expect during the fight, the Mexican shared the following: “We are both very professional […]. The day of the fight will be different […] we are going to kill each other.” Exactly what can be expected from two champion competitors, wouldn’t you agree?
Other fighters and potential fights also came up during the Stake interview. The interviewer wanted to know if Grasso had plans or wishes to go up against Weili Zhang anytime soon. The answer is spot on, a treat for every fan of the sport: “Weili Zhang is my dream fight. […] I would love to welcome her”, said Alexa. This is eerily similar to how she would fantasize about fighting Shevchenko as a pattern can clearly be seen. As Grasso eyes this superfight, it is up to Dana to make it happen. Everyone else is on board already!
The ever-interesting GOAT debate sprung up of course, with the fighter remaining humble and letting others lead that debate. She did share that it is her ultimate goal of course to be the greatest Flyweight of all time, saying, “I’m not the one who chooses that title, but to be the greatest is the goal.”
The interviewer also asked her what she expected from the headline event of Sean O’Malley versus Merab Dvalishvili. Grasso stated, “[Sean O’Malley] will have the power to hurt Merab badly, but Merab is also a very good wrestler.” Does that sound like a first-hand prediction from a legend of the sport commenting on her fellow fighters’ matchup? Sure seems like it! Make sure to read the entire Alexa Grasso exclusive interview with Stake and learn what else the legendary fighter had to say.
Who is Alexa Grasso?
Now that you know about the latest about her fights and what she expects from the future, how about a quick look back? What do you know about Grasso and do you know enough to place a quality bet on her fights? If not, don’t worry as we have you covered. Here in this section, we explore her life, most important fights, fighting style, and record.
Born on August 9, 1993 (31 years old) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Karen Alexa Grasso Montes is the current champion of the UFC’s Flyweight category for women. Apart from her fighting, she also does fight analyses as a broadcaster for UFC Espanol. This makes her one of the best sources of valuable, accurate information regarding the sport as a whole and a trusty voice for all of your bets.
From the start of her career in 2012 until 2020, her division was Strawweight. For the last four years though, she has been dominating in Flyweight. She is 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) tall and weighs 57 kg (125 lbs). Her reach is 168 cm or 66 inches. Grasso’s team is Lobo Gym and her trainers are Francisco Grasso and Diego Lopes. Alexa has a brown belt in Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, her main fighting style and the basis of her success.
The Mexican has been in 20 fights so far. Regarding her career record, it currently stands on 16 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. By knockout, he beat 4 opponents and 2 by submission. The remaining 10 were by decision. She lost 1 match by submission and 2 by decision. Overall, it is an amazing record worthy of a title belt holder. Her previous two fights, both against Shevchenko and both in 2023, were the highlights of her career. She first beat her by submission (face crank) to win the championship in the performance of the night. Then she retained the belt with a split draw half a year later. If she beats her for the second time and avoids a loss for the third, she will arguably cement her status in the division forever.
UFC 306 Details
So when does the event take place and what is the location? The upcoming MMA event under the umbrella of the UFC takes place on Saturday, September 14, 2024. As for the location, it will take place at the magnificent modern technological marvel that is the Sphere in Paradise, Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be the first time the Sphere has hosted an Ultime Fighting Championship event. The building, if it can be called that anyway, was literally made for premier events like UFC main events. Las Vegas is entertainment, it is the home of this sport, so it makes sense to hold it here.
The official name of this iteration is UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, or for sponsorship reasons, Riyadh Season Noche UFC. It is the second time that it bears the name “Noche” as it doubles as a celebration of Mexican Independence Day. The first time around was two years ago for the UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2. What better way to mark the third fight between the two fighters than to recall the last time they faced off?
According to the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White, the event is going to take us through the history of combat sports in Mexico. There are going to be film clips shown as well as tributes. It is bound to be a visual spectacle since the LED screens inside the arena are to be used for this. Make sure to check out Stake UFC predictions to prepare for these fights and get all the information about the fighters’ odds.
Other UFC 306 Fights
The headline bout of this event is the battle between the current Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. In the men’s Featherweight, it will be Brian Ortega against Diego Lopes, while the Lightweight matchup is headlined by Daniel Zellhuber versus Esteban Ribovics. Finally, the men’s Flyweight main card bout will see Ronaldo Rodriguez take on Ode’ Osbourne. This is not all, however. There are 5 more fights planned for this amazing Vegas event that has all it needs to be one for the ages.
In the preliminary card round, there are going to be 2 more women’s matchups. In the Bantamweight Irene Aldana will fight Norma Dumont, and in the Straightweight, Yazmin Jauregui faces off against Ketlen Souza. The men’s preliminary card will see a Lightweight duel between Ignacio Bahamondes and Manuel Torress, as well as a Flyweight fight where Edgar Chairez battles Joshua Van. Finally, an early preliminary card Bantamweight matchup is also scheduled between Raul Rosas Jr. and Aori Qileng.
Interesting Facts about Grasso
She was the first Mexican woman to win a UFC championship which instantly made her a hero not just in Mexico, but in the whole Latin America. She currently holds one Fight of the Night honor, for her match vs Carla Esparza. If you need more proof that 2023 was her year, know that she won Submission of the Year and Upset of the Year, both against Valentina Shevchenko in their first matchup. Grasso also won Fighter of the Year in 2023 at the World MMA Awards.
At one time during her career, she contemplated leaving the sport due to rigorous training regimes and a lack of success in her mind. However, with her family as her biggest support, she got through it. Speaking of the family, her parents were supportive all the way from the start. Mothers and fathers do not always want their precious, beautiful daughters to fight for a living, literally, but her parents own a gym and her uncle is her head coach. What a lucky break to have family members understand your love for the cage!
She once revealed that Joanna Jedrzejzyk is someone she admires, a fighter from her own division. There is nothing wrong with admiring one of your rivals of course, especially when they went 14 – 0 to start the career. Considered the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the sport for a while, she is a great role model to base your fighting on, no doubt about it.
But what about other people comparing her to some of the best in the sport? Well, she was good enough for that too. Julie Kedzie, former fighter and analyst, compared her to none other than Fedor Emelianenko regarding her matchup with Mizuki Inoue. Considering how much of a turning point the win over the Japanese fighter was, it makes sense that Grasso looked like one of the best fighters in the history of the sport. A high praise indeed, but evidently a justified one.
Last but not least, do you know that she was interested in natural sciences and morphology while she was at school? A far cry from her life and professional career, she enjoyed morphology classes in college and natural sciences were her favorite in high school. Still, sports took over and she made the right decision ad a crucial time. Her academic career was put on hold but it did not take long for her to became one of the household names in her newfound profession.
