This week, it’s all out for women’s UFC. September 16th is a big day for Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko, Tracy Cortez, and Jasmine Jasudavicius. We are not forgetting Cynthia Calvillo and Elise Reed.
The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is the scene for this no-holds-barred flyweight championship that takes no prisoners and will show the world that female fighters have just as much to lose (and win) as the men.
Alexa Grasso Vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Here’s what you need to know! Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (Alexa Grasso) will defend her UFC women’s flyweight title against Valentine’ The Bullet’ Shevchenko nine months after losing her crown.
Grasso submitted Shevchenko with a face crank in the fourth round, ending the Asian fighter’s five-year reign and her nine-fight undefeated record. It’s a grudge match made even more juicy because Grasso is just the second Mexican champion in women’s UFC history and her nation’s only reigning title holder.
The question is, can Shevchenko take back her title? Can this Kyrgyzstani fighter reverse the ester result? Fight Night 2 in Las Vegas on the 16th will be brutal, as neither fighter can sustain the loss, especially on Mexican Independence Day.
Tracy Cortez Vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Tracy Cortez and Jasmine Jasudavicius will face each other in Sin City. Cortez has been unbeaten since her debut in 2019; since then, she has knocked them down like dominos. Taking out Vanessa Melo, then Stephanie Egger at bantamweight, dropping to flyweight to defeat Melissa Gatto.
Cortez took down Melo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) back in 2019; Egger met a similar fate in the third round. The fight with Gatto ended also in a unanimous decision. The win over Gatto at UFC 274 earned 5ft. 4 Cortez the No. 14 spot in the UFC’s flyweight rankings, and she will not back down on Sunday when she takes on Jasudavicius.
Jasudavicius debuted in 2022, winning her UFC maiden fight against Kay Hansen. Natalia Silva schooled Jasudavicius in her next fight, but it’s been relatively easy since then, with back-to-back wins over Gabriella Fernandes and Miranda Maverick. Jasudavicius sits at the 15 spot in the UFC rankings.
So what’s in it? Five years and two inches – Cortez is 29 as opposed to Jasudavicius, 34; Jasudavicius is 5ft 6, whereas TC is 5ft 4. Do five years make a difference? Yes, they do, especially as Jasudavicius is less experienced, but what Jasudavicius has is height, and as every woman knows, two inches make all the difference.
Keep your eyes on the prize, but the smart money is on Cortez.
Cynthia Calvillo Vs. Elise Reed
What do we know? We know that Cynthia Calvillo most recently lost to Loopy Godinez, making Godinez her fifth defeat in a row. Elise Reed has not had good luck either, alternating her losses since her debut in 2021. Competing in June to defeat Jinh Yu Frey by a unanimous decision made her score sheet look a little better.
But there’s no getting around the fact these fighters have plenty to lose and loads to prove in this strawweight division fight.
September 19th is the date for Dana White’s Contender Series 63, and all eyes will be on the UFC Apex Center in Vegas; the scorecard looks like this:
Talita Alencar Vs. Stephanie Luciano
Talita Alencar is from Carutapera, Brazil, and is an MMA fighter with a black belt in BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu). Alencar is a Gi and No-Gi world Jiu-Jitsu Champ; she has three colored belts to her name. Super sporty Alencar is favored for the win, but Stephanie Luciano is a young contender who might knock the wind out of her sales.
Stephanie Luciano is a mere 23-year-old strawweight who looks dangerous. The young fighter’s pro-MMA record reads 5-1-0, nicknamed ‘Rondinha’ meaning round (it’s also a place in Rio Grande do Sul). She might be able to rely on her youth and enthusiasm to get her through, but the sad fact is she is likely to lose, and it won’t be pretty.
Kaynan Kruschewsky Vs. Dylan Mantello
Lightweight fighters Kaynan Kruschewsky and Dylan Mantello (Bahia vs. The Quiet Man) meet at the Apex to discuss their differences with their fists. The fighters are on the main card, but those in the know say Mantello “has no chance.”
Their sheets look like this: Kruschewsky from Brazil is 14-1-0, and homegrown Mantello looks like 7-2-0. They are fighting at a similar weight and two years between them in age. Mantello towers over Kruschewsky. For a reason, this fight is a main card event, and you know what they say about the quiet ones? They are the worst!
Jhonata Silva Vs. Igor da Silva
Silva vs. da Silva, a match to watch, a battle of the Brazilian against the Italian for supremacy in the flyweight division. Silva is a young upstart at 20 years old and 124.8 lbs (56.6 kgs), while da Silva is 26 and 117.7 lbs (53.4 kgs). Fight enthusiasts say the older man has it, but Silva won’t go down without a fight, and that fight is likely to be bloody.
Shamil Gaziev Vs. Greg Velasco
As heavyweight bouts go, this duel at the Apex looks to make history. Gaziev KO’d former KSW title contender and UFC challenger Darko Stošić from Serbia, making Stošić the ninth scalp of his MMA career.
Velasco defended the Cage Fury FC heavyweight title with a TKO against Ron Coleman, giving Velasco a 6-0 score sheet. Velasco, a former NCAA wrestler (Collegiate wrestling), claimed the belt from Kevin Sears in 2022.
The bout will be challenging, and the heavies are not looking to take any prisoners. The smart bucks are on Gaziev, but we are not so sure. You must watch it to find out.
Finally, JaCobi Jones and Daniel James Allen, the Apex, draw to a close with this exciting match.
JaCobi Jones Vs. Daniel James Allen
Both men are in a win-lose-draw situation, meaning they have something to prove. The only thing we want to add is that ‘Big Toe’ Jones is on a mission to put Allen down, but pundits are not having any of it.
Allen from the American Kickbox Society seems to have it in the bag; with a 4-0-0 score sheet, he has not lost, but you know what they say about men with big feet? No, neither do we!