UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and longtime former champion Valentina Shevchenko’s next chapter in their rivalry will be as coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
UFC CEO Dana White officially announced that Grasso and Shevchenko will coach TUF 32 on Friday morning, which premieres June 4 and will feature middleweights and featherweights vying to earn contracts in the UFC. ClubDeLasMMA first reported the news on Twitter.
Happy International Women's Day!#TUF32 coaches will be @AlexaGrasso and @BulletValentina premiering June 4th on @ESPN! @UltimateFighter pic.twitter.com/JC4msNmWuY
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 8, 2024
Grasso and Shevchenko faced each other twice in 2023, with the former capturing the women’s 125-pound title with a massive upset, earning MMA Fighting’s 2023 Submission of the Year in the process. In the rematch, Grasso and Shevchenko put on a classic in the main event of September’s Noche UFC event, but the bout ended in a split draw.
With the competitive rivalry still open ended, it seems likely that Grasso and Shevchenko will meet for the third time upon conclusion of the season.
Damon Martin contributed to this report.
