Alexa Grasso has taken management of The Final Fighter 32.
Two Group Grasso middleweights have now superior within the actuality present competitors together with her No. 3 decide Omran Chaaban (6-1) taking out Valentina Shevchenko’s No. 1 decide, Shamidkhan Magomedov (7-1). After dropping the primary spherical, Chaaban battled again to complete Magomedov with a decent anaconda choke.
That is the third win within the first 4 fights for Grasso, who additionally noticed her No. 2 featherweight decide Kaan Ofli advance final episode with a win over Nathan Fletcher.
Chaaban and Magomedov had been to compete in an earlier episode, however an open chilly sore on Chaaban’s lip triggered the bout to be postponed. Throughout their time in the home, the Muslim fighters bonded over their shared religion. That didn’t cease them from participating in an intense battle after they stepped into the cage in opposition to each other.
The opening spherical of the struggle noticed Magomedov go for takedowns early and sometimes, ducking underneath his bigger opponent’s strikes to shut the gap and wrap up Chaaban’s hips. He persistently labored to take Chaaban’s again and emphasised management as he favored place over offense. Chaaban shook Magomedov off, however couldn’t maintain the Russian fighter from tying him up. Magomedov capped off a transparent 10-9 spherical with a slam within the closing seconds.
Chaaban fought with desperation in Spherical 2 and was rewarded. Regardless of Magomedov scoring one other takedown and attacking with a leglock, Chaaban remained calm till he might explode out of hazard and management Magomedov on the bottom. He landed a couple of ground-and-pound strikes, then went for an anaconda choke that Magomedov tried to struggle off. Magomedov refused to faucet and ultimately went to sleep.
The Finnish-Lebanese fighter advances to the middleweight semifinals alongside teammate Robert Valentin. By eliminating Magomedov, Chaaban earned a measure of revenge for coach Grasso as Shevchenko’s high 145-pound decide Roedie Roets had beforehand overwhelmed Grasso’s No. 1 featherweight Guillermo Torres.
In different storylines, each coaches engaged in staff constructing, with Shevchenko bringing her fighters to her favourite Las Vegas on line casino, and Valentin rising as one of many leaders on Grasso’s facet.
Subsequent week, featherweights are again in motion with Group Shevchenko No. 2 Zygimantas Ramaska preventing Group Grasso No. 3 Bekhzod Usmonov.
The Final Fighter 32 airs reside each Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Following the season finale, Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are anticipated to face off in a flyweight championship trilogy bout at a date nonetheless to be decided.
The finalists of the TUF 32 middleweight and featherweight tournaments may even compete for a six-figure UFC contract on the present’s reside finale. A date for that occasion can be but to be introduced.
Listed below are the TUF 32 rosters divided by staff:
Group Grasso
Featherweights
Guillermo Torres (Mexico) (7-1)
Kaan Ofli (Australia) (10-2-1)
Bekhzod Usmonov (Tajikistan) (11-4)
Mairon Santos (Brazil) (13-1)
Middleweights
Robert Valentin (Switzerland) (10-3)
Paddy McCorry (Eire) (4-1)
Omran Chaaban (Finland) (6-1)
Tom Theocharis (Canada) (9-5)
Group Shevchenko
Featherweights
Roedie Roets (South Africa) (7-1)
Zygimantas Ramaska (Lithuania) (9-2)
Nathan Fletcher (England) (8-1)
Edwin Cooper Jr. (USA) (6-1)
Middleweights
Shamidkhan Magomedov (Russia) (7-1)
Mark Hulme (South Africa) (12-3)
Ryan Loder (USA) (6-1)
Giannis Bachar (Greece) (9-2)
Listed below are the quarterfinal outcomes to date:
Roedie Roets def. Guillermo Torres through resolution
Robert Valentin def. Giannis Bachar through KO (strikes) (R1)
Kaan Ofli def. Nathan Fletcher through resolution
Omran Chaaban def. Shamidkhan Magomedov through technical submission (anaconda choke) (R2)
Advancing to semifinals: Roets, Valentin, Ofli, Chaaban
Eradicated: Torres, Bachar, Fletcher, Magomedov
