Las Vegas – UFC® brings an action-packed card to T-Mobile Arena to celebrate Mexican Independence Day with a thrilling flyweight championship rematch between champion Alexa Grasso and No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko. The co-main event will see No. 6 ranked welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov take on Kelvin Gastelum.
A great tradition in combat sports is to hold big fights on September 16th, and this year UFC is honoring its fans and fighters from Mexican communities with an inaugural Noche UFC event. In addition to the incredible fights, the fight week celebration will include a UFC Fan Experience, special appearances, community activities, commemorative merchandise, and much more.
“Mexican fans are some of the biggest and most passionate fans in all of combat sports,” said UFC President Dana White. “For years, I’ve wanted to truly honor their love for the athletes and the sport by bringing an incredible UFC event with Mexican athletes. It’s happening this year and we are bringing a MASSIVE Mexican card to Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day. This card will be headlined by our Mexican champion in an insane rematch and it will be stacked from top to bottom with the best Mexican athletes in the world. Let me tell you something – I cannot wait for this event!”
NOCHE UFC: GRASSO vs. SHEVCHENKO 2 takes place Saturday, September 16 in Las Vegas and will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will start at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
NOCHE UFC: GRASSO vs. SHEVCHENKO 2 tickets go on sale Friday, July 21 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, July 19 at 10 a.m. PT via www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, July 20 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Media members wishing to apply for NOCHE UFC: GRASSO vs. SHEVCHENKO 2 fight week credentials may sign up here.
Mexico’s own Grasso (16-3, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) sets out for her first title defense against the woman she took the belt from in March. The elite flyweight has secured notable wins against Maycee Barber, Viviane Araújo, and Joanne Wood and now intends to defeat former champion Shevchenko for a second time to cement her place as the best flyweight in the world.
Longtime resident of Peru, Shevchenko (23-4, fighting out of Bishkek, Chuy Province, Kyrgzstan) aims to recapture the flyweight title and become a two-time champion at 125 pounds. A Master of Sport in taekwondo, boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, Shevchenko has claimed highlight-reel victories over Lauren Murphy, Jéssica Andrade, and Katlyn Chookagian. The Kyrgyzstan fighter steps back inside the Octagon more motivated than ever as she looks for redemption against Grasso.
Undefeated welterweight Rakhmonov (17-0, fighting out of Kokshetau, Kazakhstan) looks to further his climb up the rankings by delivering another impressive performance. A Master of Sport in Combat Sambo and MMA, he has delivered memorable wins against Geoff Neal, Neil Magny, and Carlston Harris. Rakhmonov aims on keeping his 100% finish rate intact as he squares off with former middleweight title challenger Gastelum.
Mexican-American Gastelum (17-8 1NC, fighting out of Yuma, Ariz.) is determined to secure back-to-back wins as he takes on a rising contender. A decade-long Octagon veteran, Gastelum has defeated Chris Curtis, Ronaldo Souza, and UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping. The Arizona-native is determined to break Rakhmonov’s perfect record and insert his name in the title picture at 170 pounds.
Athletes of Mexican descent on the card include the following:
- Anthony Hernandez (11-2, 1 NC, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.) collides with Chris Curtis (30-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio) in a high-stakes bout set for the middleweight division
- Loopy Godinez (10-3, fighting out of Langley, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico)battles Sam Hughes (8-5, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) at strawweight
- Edgar Chairez (10-5, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico)squares off with Daniel Lacerda (11-5, fighting out of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at flyweight
- Cynthia Calvillo (9-6-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) returns to the Octagon and faces Elise Reed (7-3, fighting out of Princeton, N.J.) at 115 pounds
- Tracy Cortez (10-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) faces Jasmine Jasudavicius (9-2, fighting out of Niagara, Ontario, Canada)in an exciting flyweight matchup
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.
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About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.
About T-Mobile Arena
T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team, as well as UFC’s exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
