Alexa Grasso Continues To Climb The Mountain (2024)

“It's not just about the minutes I spent in the Octagon, it was also months and years of training, dedication for myself, giving everything I have to train and to be the best,” Grasso said. “When I won the belt, when it was around my waist, it was like a timeline, remembering everything I've been doing all these years to achieve it, so it was a really beautiful moment.”

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Becoming champion is every athlete’s dream and Grasso was able to accomplish it against one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC flyweight division. Not only did she defeat Shevchenko, but she also did it in convincing fashion, submitting the champion who had seven successful title defenses prior to UFC 285.

Following the victory, not much changed for the 30-year-old. She kept everything the same that got her to that moment. Train. Rest. Sleep. Eat. Repeat. She just kept learning and improving, and even though she achieved a lifelong dream, that doesn’t mean she’s quitting now.

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“I heard that humans are often climbing mountains,” Grasso said. “When you get to the top of one and you achieve your biggest goal of your life, then you turn your head and you realize that there's another one to climb, so this is a thing that I just noticed. I thought that being the champion and achieving this goal was the top of the world, but right now, it's just one mountain. I have to defend it. I have to keep fighting.”

Grasso’s first title defense comes on a special day, as well, Mexican Independence Day. It’s the first time the UFC is hosting a card on this day, the inaugural Noche UFC card, featuring top talent from Mexico. Being able to represent her country on the highest stage is something that Grasso doesn’t take lightly.

“It means a lot to me to have this big opportunity; it's huge for the Mexicans,” Grasso said. “This day changed the history of our country, and now the UFC is doing this for one country. We had Brandon (Moreno) as a champion, we had Yair (Rodriguez) as a champion. Irene (Aldana), who fought for the belt, to me now being the current champion. We have a lot of Mexicans in the rankings, also. This (event) says that they are happy with our performances, with our heart and with everything that we are doing, so this is huge for Mexico.”

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Her first title defense also comes as a rematch with Shevchenko, who became champion in 2018 and held the belt up until Grasso defeated her earlier this year. The accolades that Shevchenko earned throughout her career speak to the level of talent that she has. It’s one of the reasons why Grasso knew the rematch would have to happen.