Valentina Shevchenko feels UFC 306 is not all about Mexican Independence Day.
Shevchenko challenges Alexa Grasso for the women’s flyweight title in the co-main event at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. “Bullet” was initially hesitant to accept the trilogy fight on this particular card due to her past experience.
Shevchenko lost her strap to Grasso in an upset submission loss at UFC 285 in March 2023. The two met in a rematch last September at Noche UFC, which was the promotion’s first event to commemorate Mexican Independence Day. The fight ended in a controversial split draw, leading to Grasso retaining her strap. Shevchenko complained that judge Mike Bell scored the fifth round 10-8 in favor of Grasso so that the Mexican champ could retain her belt on the card built around the country’s Independence Day.
So, when Shevchenko was offered a trilogy matchup a year later at UFC 306, which is also tribute to Mexican Independence Day, the former champ was initially reluctat to accept it. However, she notes that UFC 306 is more than just a tribute to Mexican Independence Day. The card being billed as Noche UFC Riyadh Season is the company’s first collaboration with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The company has also confirmed that it’ll be one-time affair at The Sphere in Las Vegas, which is likely due to the event’s massive cost.
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
Shevchenko also likes the idea of the UFC highlighting a country’s culture by building a card around it and hopes the promotion extends that courtesy to other countries as well.
“Because it’s kind of like Noche, but I feel like it’s not that Noche too,” Shevchenko told told Shakiel Mahjouri. “Because so much ingredients added. It’s like UFC 306 and [co-main] event, USA and Georgia, Riyadh Season’s first event. Actually, I kind of like this idea because all this showing up the culture of one country, it’s such a cool thing. And I hope in the future, it’s gonna start with, for example Mexico right now and maybe in the future the UFC will do the same thing for all other countries to embrace their culture. And show to the world not only fighting but bringing the culture of each country. For the people who doesn’t know much about some places, to expand their knowledge and be more curious to travel… So I hope in the future it’s going to be more countries involved in these cultural events.”
