Alexa Grasso Retains UFC Women’s Flyweight Title Following Split Draw Against Valentina Shevchenko

Alexa Grasso is keep her title…

The 30-year-old Mexican professional mixed martial artist fought to a split draw (48-47, 47-48, 47-47) against Valentina Shevchenko on Saturday night in the main event of Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alexa Grasso,Because of the result, Grasso retained the UFC women’s flyweight title.

Grasso and Shevchenko “Draw — it’s not a loss,” Shevchenko said. “But in my case, it’s not a victory.”

Saturday’s bout was an immediate rematch after Grasso beat Shevchenko to win the belt six months ago.

The fight went back and forth. Grasso dropped Shevchenko in the second round. Shevchenko nearly finished Grasso in the third round with a mounted guillotine choke. It ended with Grasso on Shevchenko’s back landing punches.

The card was UFC’s first celebration of Mexican Independence Day. The heavily Mexican and Mexican American crowd booed Shevchenko and the result of the bout. Grasso said she thought she won the fight three rounds to two.

“It was my first main, main event on such an amazing date in Las Vegas,” Grasso said. “I always wanted to fight on this date. I’m truly happy with my performance.”

Grasso won the first fight via fourth-round submission (rear-naked choke) to take the title at UFC 285 in March. She became the first Mexican-born female fighter to win a UFC championship.

In her postfight interview in the Octagon, Grasso was noncommittal about another rematch. At the news conference later on, she said it would be up to UFC on what’s next.

“I wouldn’t like to stop the division,” Grasso said. “But whatever the UFC says, I’m in.”

Shevchenko said she thought she was the rightful winner but that the judges “felt pressure” because it was Mexican Independence Day.

“I was expecting a battle,” Shevchenko said. “I fought until the end, and I think I did enough.”

Shevchenko said she broke her thumb in the first round and didn’t want to commit to a rematch until she is fully healed from the injury.

“I don’t want to perform at 50 percent,” Shevchenko said. “I want it 100. Right now, I don’t know what is going to be next, who is going to be next. But I am here. This performance tonight, I showed that I have much more forward to go.”

Judge Mike Bell had Grasso winning the fifth round 10-8, which led to the draw. He had Shevchenko winning the first, third and fourth rounds and Grasso winning the second and fifth. Judge Junichiro Kamijo had Grasso winning, with victories in the second, fourth and fifth rounds. Judge Sal D’Amato had Shevchenko winning, with victories in the first, third and fourth rounds.

“I fought with all my heart, with all my soul,” Shevchenko said. “The other side, it’s my frustration. I think three rounds I won. Two rounds maybe was her. I feel the 10-8 in the fifth round was completely unfair.”

Grasso outlanded Shevchenko 64-57 in significant strikes and 219-158 in total strikes, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Shevchenko landed four of six takedown attempts and had 8 minutes, 37 seconds of control time.

Coming in, ESPN had Shevchenko ranked No. 2 and Grasso at No. 3 in its women’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Grasso (16-3-1) is unbeaten in six straight fights, all since moving up to flyweight from strawweight. The Guadalajara native has an 8-3-1 record in UFC. She was the first UFC champion to have trained primarily in Mexico, doing her camps in her hometown at Lobo Gym led by her coach and uncle Francisco “Pancho” Grasso.

Shevchenko (23-4-1) had a nine-fight winning streak snapped by Grasso in their previous match. The Kyrgyzstan native, who spent many years living and training in Peru, did most of her training camp in Thailand. Shevchenko, 35, had seven successful title defenses as women’s flyweight champion, the most consecutive title defenses by any woman in UFC history as well as the most in one division by any woman. “Bullet” has the most title wins in UFC women’s flyweight history at eight.

Paulo Costa to Fight Undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294

Paulo Costa is switching opponents…

The 32-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist will face undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in the Octagon at 185 pounds at UFC 294 on October 21 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UFC president Dana White has announced.

Paulo CostaCosta and Chimaev are two of the most popular fighters in the UFC middleweight division.

The card will be headlined by a lightweight title rematch between champion Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. It’s unclear if the Chimaev-Costa bout will be the co-main event. 

Costa had been scheduled to fight Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 next week in Salt Lake City, but was pulled from that fight to face Chimaev. Aliskerov will now fight at UFC 294 against Nassourdine Imavov.

ESPN has Chimaev ranked No. 4 in the world at welterweight, while Costa is rated No. 7 at middleweight.

Chimaev (12-0) has not fought since September, a first-round submission of Kevin Holland at UFC 279. He missed weight before what would have been a fight with Nate Diaz on that card before being given Holland as a replacement.

The Chechen-born fighter is 6-0 in the UFC with five finishes. Chimaev, 29, holds the UFC modern record for the fastest three-fight winning streak (66 days).

Costa (14-2) is coming off a unanimous decision over Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in August 2022. The Brazilian fighter snapped a two-fight losing streak with that victory. Costa has won six of his eight UFC fights with the lone losses coming to Marvin Vettori and champion Israel Adesanya in a title fight.

Rafael dos Anjos to Fight Vicente Luque in UFC Fight Night Headliner This Summer

Rafael dos Anjos has lined up his next opponent…

The the 38-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former UFC lightweight champion has agreed to a welterweight fight against Vicente Luque this summer.

Rafael dos Anjosdos Anjos and Luque’s fight will headline UFC Fight Night on July 15, sources have confirmed with ESPN.

The card doesn’t have an official location, but it is likely to be in Las Vegas.

MMA Fighting was the first to report the news.

Dos Anjos (32-14) has won three of his past four fights. He returned to welterweight with a second-round submission win over Bryan Barberena back in December.

Dos Anjos held the UFC lightweight title in 2015 and 2016 and has the longest fight time in UFC history, more than eight hours in the Octagon.

Luque (21-9-1) is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. Before that skid, the New Jersey-born Brazilian MMA fighter who lives and trains in Florida had won four in a row. Luque, 31, has the second most finishes in UFC welterweight history (13).

UFC Legend Anderson Silva to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Anderson Silva is headed to the hall…

The 47-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer, a former UFC Middleweight Champion who holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the promotion announced during the UFC 286 broadcast.

Anderson SilvaConsidered one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever live will enter the Hall as part of the pioneer wing.

The Spider, as he’s nicknamed, has dominated the sport. He held the UFC middleweight title from 2006 to 2013 and compiled 16 straight victories in the UFC, the longest winning streak in promotion history.

Silva had 10 middleweight title defenses, second all-time after Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson (11).

“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we’ve ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

It wasn’t just that Silva would win, either. He put opponents away with a flourish, sometimes making foes look foolish in the process. His nine UFC title finishes are the most in promotion history, and he’s tied for the most KO/TKOs in UFC middleweight history.

Silva asked for his UFC release in 2020 and went on to win boxing matches against former world champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and fellow UFC luminary Tito OrtizJake Paul defeated Silva in a boxing match, Silva’s most recent fight, last October.

In the UFC, Silva owns victories over the likes of Rich FranklinDan HendersonVitor BelfortChael Sonnen (twice) and Forrest Griffin.

Raul Rosas Jr. Becomes First 18-Year-Old to Win in the UFC

Raul Rosas Jr. has a first UFC win under his belt…

The Mexican mixed martial artist, who turned 18 years old just two months ago, became the youngest fighter ever to compete in the UFC on Saturday night, and his performance was dominant in a first-round submission of veteran bantamweight Jay Perrin during the prelims of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Raul Rosas Jr.Rosas, who was born in Mexico and raised in New Mexico and California, was signed off of Dana White‘s Contender Series when he was still 17.

He now is 18 years and 63 days old, younger than the only other 18-year-olds to compete in the OctagonSean Daugherty and Dan Lauzon.

But Rosas is the first 18-year-old to win in the UFC. And he made it look easy.

Rosas, whose specialty is grappling, took the fight to the canvas within the first minute and immediately seized control, which he maintained before eliciting the tapout from Perrin via rear-naked choke at 2:44 of Round 1.

Rosas spoke afterward about the next historical accomplishment in his sights.

“Man, this is crazy, but I knew I was going to be here at this age,” he said. “So right now I’m just living the dream. I had no nerves, no pressure, felt free. I’m doing what I love to do. And right now, tonight, I just came to introduce myself, because I’m coming for that belt.”

Raul Rosas, Jr. to Become Youngest Fighter to Compete in UFC with Debut Fight Against Jay Perrin

Raul Rosas, Jr. is set to earn his place in UFC history…

The 18-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist, known as “El Niño Problema,” will become the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC when he makes his debut against Jay Perrin (10-6) at UFC 282 on December 10 in Las Vegas.

Raul Rosas Jr.Rosas’ representative agency, Iridium Sports, announced the news on social media.

Last month, Rosas became the youngest fighter to win a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series when he defeated Mando Gutierrez (7-1) via unanimous decision. Rosas was just 17 at the time of that fight. He celebrated his 18th birthday on October 8.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said White, the UFC president, as he signed Rosas. “The amount of fighters blowing me up saying, ‘You’re crazy not to [sign him].’ … He’s special.”

According to UFC Stats and InfoDan Lauzon currently holds the record as the youngest fighter to ever compete in the Octagon (18 years, 198 days). He made his UFC debut in January 2010. Rosas will comfortably beat that mark, as long as the fight stays together on December 10.

Rosas was born in Mexico and now fights out of California. Perrin, 29, is 0-2 since signing with the UFC earlier this year. He has fought professionally since 2014.

Glover Teixeira Reportedly Set to Fight Jiri Prochazka in Light Heavyweight Championship Rematch

Glover Teixeira is heading to the Octagon in December…

The UFC has added a light heavyweight championship rematch between the 42-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and Jiri Prochazka  to its December pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.

Glover TeixeiraContracts haven’t been signed, but multiple sources confirmed the bout is close to being finalized.

It will take place at UFC 282 on December 10 inside T-Mobile Arena. The UFC has not announced whether it will serve as the main event.

Prochazka (29-3-1) won the title by submitting Teixeira in the fifth round of a back-and-forth fight at UFC 275 in June. Fighting out of Czech Republic, Prochazka has been perfect since signing with the UFC in 2020. He has recorded three consecutive finishes against Teixeira, Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir.

Teixeira (33-8) has strung together some of the best performances of his career at age 42. He upset Jan Blachowicz for the UFC title in October 2021, before surrendering the belt in his first attempted defense. Before that loss, the Brazilian had not tasted defeat since 2018.

The first meeting between Prochazka and Teixeira is considered one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Ironically, it was Prochazka who was adamant about an immediate rematch, as he felt he did not give his best performance despite the late finish.

UFC 282 also features a high-profile light heavyweight bout between Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.

The news of the bout being added to UFC 282 was first reported by The Underground.

Marlon Moraes Coming Out of Retirement with Multi-Fight PFL Deal

Marlon Moraes is making a comeback…

The 34-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC bantamweight title challenger  has decided to come out of retirement, and will do so under a new multi-fight deal with Professional Fighters League (PFL).Marlon Moraes In addition to the new deal, Moraes (23-10-1) has agreed to a featherweight matchup against Shane Burgos (15-3) on the promotion’s tournament finals card later this year.

Multiple sources told ESPN contracts haven’t been signed for the bout, but verbal agreements are in place.

The PFL has not announced an official date or location for the event, although it is expected to take place in November.

Moraes walked away from the sport earlier this year following a four-fight skid in the Octagon, but figures to be a prominent new face in the PFL’s season format. He’s actually returning to his former home, in a sense. Moraes was a 135-pound champion at World Series of Fighting, which was rebranded into the PFL in 2017.

Originally from Brazil and now fighting out of Florida, Moraes came within one win of becoming a UFC champion in June 2019, when he came up short in a vacant title bid against challenger Henry Cejudo. He went on to drop four of his next five, although he was fighting the very best of his weight class in the likes of Song YadongMerab DvalishviliRob Font and Cory Sandhagen.

Burgos, of New York, also signed a new deal with PFL this year. The 31-year-old fought exclusively in the UFC from 2106 to 2022. He has fought some of the top names of the division during his career. Following his signing with PFL, UFC president Dana White went so far as to admit the promotion made an error in not keeping Burgos on its roster.

Raul Rosas Jr. Becomes Youngest MMA Fighter to Sign with UFC

Raul Rosas Jr. has earned his place in UFC history…

The 17-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist has become the youngest fighter to sign with the UFC.

Raul Rosas Jr.Rosas signed with UFC Tuesday night, following a unanimous decision win over Mando Gutierrez on Dana White‘s Contender Series.

White, impressed by Rosas’ performance, offered the teen a contract before the end of the show, which he accepted. Rosas is the youngest fighter to compete on the series.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” White said of Rosas’ age and outing against Gutierrez. “Not only that, the amount of fighters blowing me up saying you’re crazy not to (sign him). … He’s absolutely, positively talented. He’s special, he’s different.”

Rosas, a bantamweight fighter, dominated the 25-year-old Gutierrez for most of the fight with his grappling prowess. He nearly finished Gutierrez in the first round with a rarely used Suloev stretch submission from back control. Gutierrez had moments, taking Rosas down and landing some ground-and-pound. But almost always, Rosas would end up in the better position, using his dexterity, skill and creativity on the ground to scramble his way to the top.

Rosas (6-0) had finished all of his previous opponents before Tuesday night. The Mexican-born fighter, who trains out of Las Vegas, previously fought in the UWC promotion in Tijuana.

Dan Lauzon holds the record as the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC (18 years, 198 days), per ESPN Stats & Information research. As long as Rosas steps into the Octagon within the next 216 days — a likely scenario — he will beat that mark.

And Rosas is already talking about winning championships. The youngest UFC champion was Jon Jones at age 23 in 2011.

“Everybody shouldn’t be surprised,” Rosas said. “I’m the new king in here, so I’m coming for that belt now. … I’m gonna be champion when I’m 20. Respect to everybody, but I’m gonna be champion when I’m 20, or even earlier. Nobody is gonna stop me.”

Brandon Moreno Defeats Kai Kara-France to Claim UFC’s Interim 125-Pound Title

Brandon Moreno is a UFC champion once again…

The 28-year-old Mexican professional mixed martial artist (20-6-2) claimed the interim 125-pound title in thrilling fashion on Saturday, as he finished Kai Kara-France in the third round with a nasty left body kick followed by ground and pound. The TKO came at 4 minutes, 34 seconds.

Brandon MorenoThe title fight co-headlined UFC 277 from inside American Airlines Arena. Figueiredo, the defending unified champion and a longtime rival of Moreno’s, was in attendance cageside.

UFC originally wanted Figueiredo to defend his title against Moreno this summer, but Figueiredo was unavailable due to injury. The Brazilian champion entered the Octagon after Moreno’s win and asked to do it in Brazil.

“This guy right here, tonight is his night and he is the champion,” Figueiredo said through an interpreter. “I have a lot of respect for him. … I want to take this fight home to Brazil.”

Brandon Moreno

Moreno, of Tijuana, quickly accepted the invitation. He also apologized to Figueiredo for any bad blood between them in the past. The two have had a heated rivalry, mostly from Figueiredo’s side, since 2020. Moreno challenged Figueiredo for the belt in December 2020 and fought him to a majority draw. He then beat Figueiredo by submission in an immediate rematch before losing a controversial decision in their third fight in January.

“I don’t hate you. I don’t feel nothing against you. I forgive you,” Moreno told Figueiredo. “Please forgive me if I did something bad against you. I want to fight in December.”

Saturday’s fight was Moreno’s first since he left his original training camp in Mexico and joined forces with veteran MMA coach James Krause in Missouri. It proved to be one of the most impressive performances of his career. He already held a prior decision win over Kara-France (24-10) from 2019, and the rematch was similar in that Moreno simply had more tools than the challenger from New Zealand.

He attacked Kara-France with leg kicks, jabs and right hands. He looked for the takedown when the opportunity came but didn’t force it.

However, Kara-France, 29, was certainly competitive until the finish. He relied mostly on leg kicks as his primary offense and had success with it. Moreno’s lead leg was very red from kicks early on. In the third round, Kara-France did his best work after he caught a Moreno kick and dumped him to the floor. He landed a hard elbow from top position that opened a cut under Moreno’s right eye.

Just when it appeared Kara-France had seized momentum, however, Moreno caught him with a spinning back fist and then the body kick that put him down. Kara-France immediately rolled over and covered up, which brought in a quick stoppage from referee Herb Dean, as Moreno swarmed on him with hammerfists.

Moreno, who was cut from UFC in 2018, now holds a 4-1-2 record since re-signing in 2019.