Did any of you predict Alexa Grasso would submit Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285? ‘Bullet’s dominance over the division was such that she was just one more title defense away from completing the ruby collection on her UFC belt. But Grasso halted her progress one step away from the finish line.

The 31-year-old is the first and only Mexican women’s UFC champion to date. She is also only the third UFC women’s flyweight champion in the promotion’s history. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The 16-3-1 MMA star is tied for the second-longest active win streak in her weight class. Grasso made her debut in 2016 in the UFC and went 5-0-1 after moving to flyweight. In 2023 defeated Valentina Shevchenko to win the coveted flyweight title via submission. These achievements at the highest level point to an elite fighter with an elite team behind her. And that is where our focus will be today.

Who is Alexa Grasso’s coach?

Alexa Grasso is currently unbeaten in her last six fights in the UFC’s flyweight division. Looking back at her records in the UFC, Grasso has proved that she has the conditioning to go the distance. When she took on Shevchenko in her first clash the 31-year-old displayed her exceptional grappling skills and proved most of her critics wrong. However, her rise in the sport can be credited a lot to her father Francisco Grasso. He is popularly known by his nickname ‘Pancho’ and has transformed many fighters hailing from Mexico.

Grasso sharpens her skills under the watchful eyes of her father and trains at the Lobo Gym in Guadalajara, Mexico. Unlike many UFC coaches, ‘Pancho’ likes to stay away from the limelight. There have been very few gyms in Mexico that have been able to leave their footprints in MMA like his one.

Francisco Grasso, who doesn’t do much media, works his magic behind the scenes and is making sure that his fighters are slowly dominating the UFC. His resume not only features Alexa Grasso but some other elite fighters like Irene Aldana, Loopy Godinez, and Alessandro Costa.

The women’s flyweight champion trains with some of the best partners in her gym. She is known to be one of the most hard-working fighters in the division. Her sparring sessions are some of the most intense and she doesn’t take a step back while indulging in them. Let us take a look at some of her training partners who are helping her slowly dominate the division.

Alexa Grasso’s gym and teammates

One of the biggest attractions of the Noche UFC event is the trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title. The pair recently featured in the 32nd season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and will now be looking to settle their differences once and for all. Grasso currently holds the upper hand in the clash and is unbeaten in her last two outings. The 31-year-old has stepped up her preparation and her training partners include Irene Aldana and Diego Lopes.

Lopes has been spotted at the champion’s corner in a few of her recent fights. The 28-year-old featherweight fighter made his debut at UFC 288 and suffered his sole defeat in the promotion. Lopes serves as the Jiu-Jitsu coach for the champion and the pair have known each other for quite some time now.

It is believed that the pair might have met each other when they were competing on the local mixed martial arts circuit. The 28-year-old also played a vital role during the UFC 285 fight as the move that helped Grasso lock the rear-naked choke was perfected under the Brazilian.

The upcoming clash will her assert her dominance in the division and will look to defend her title yet again. Who do you think will win the fight at UFC 306? Let us know about it in the comments below.