The Ultimate Fighter 32: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko is in full swing. The reigning UFC flyweight champ took the lead again in the latest episode. More to it, the TUF: Season 32 reality show is proving to be prime television. After a rapid loss to Robert Valentin, Team Bullet’s Giannis Bachar had quite the breakdown!
The Greek Team EFL Martial Arts Academy has been a welterweight long-stay at Cage Warriors. The then-9-2-0 fighter became the inaugural Greek champion of the promotion. The 33-year-old hoped to bring a similar momentum this past week. In the aftermath of last week’s fight, Giannis Bachar enters the house broken down and erratic. He stormed in on the rival, who taught half-guard defenses to a housemate.
Robert! I kill you right now, …Right now, motherfu*ker! Let’s go. Where is this?
Giannis Bachar via TUF: Season 32 In-House footage (@espnmma) (H/T: cagesidepress.com)
He later even sunk to his knees, sobbing! Valentin consoled him on the matter.
Don’t be ashamed…[cosoles]. This is the way of warriors…
Robert Valentin via TUF: Season 32 In-House footage (@espnmma)
This comes in the light of Team Alexa Grasso’s Robert Valentin bagging a fast and brutal knockout last week. This third episode opened with Bachar unable to grapple with his first defeat. Valentin and Bachar’s teammates assured him that this kind of loss was just part of the grind. Check out the KO and a part of the segment below:
Tough loss for Giannis Bachar is episode two.
Nasty knockout by Robert Valentin
Tough for Giannas as he began questioning continuing his career, and at 33 years old at 185, it’s a tough time.
Fun season so far pic.twitter.com/rbM58IbEpx
— Luke Chambers (@LukeChambers78) June 12, 2024
Rashad Evans, T.J. Dillashaw, Michael Bisping, Nicco Montano, Kamaru Usman, and others have gone from TUF to UFC champions. That eighteen-second knockout might have been devastating at that point. However, CEO Dana White points out that many fighters fell at the showcase and went on to successful UFC careers. Consequently, these were not the only viral snippets of the season so far.
The Ultimate Fighter 32: Viral moments and season so far
TUF: Season 32: Grasso vs. Shevchenko brings back memories of prime clashes and electric stories of the past. Current top bill and title challenger Valentina Shevchenko took the MMA world by storm when the season aired. The Kyrgyz native had gifted “Bullet” talismans to her team on the very first day. Mere moments later, her hardcore training regimen of going without water surprised fans and peers.
The Ultimate Fighter 32: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko provides viral stories (Source: UFC.go.com/X)No water policy for 1-2 hours of training isn’t necessary unless sparring. Jordan Sullivan, aka The Fight Dietitian (@the_fightdietitian) in the combat sports spectrum, provided a detailed viral breakdown. He even billed the former UFC champion’s rule obsolete for proper hydration. He works with the likes of Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Leon Edwards.
Grasso’s No. 1 pick at 145 pounds, Guillermo Torres, lost to Shevchenko’s Roedie Roets in a decisive battle right after. Alexa Grasso, however, was able to even the odds with a 2-1 lead on the coaching map. In the second episode, Robert Valentin’s KO over Team Bullet’s Giannis Bachar really stung. It was because Valentin had previously trained with Shevchenko at Tiger Muay Thai (TMT), Phuket.
In the next episode, Alexa Grasso’s No. 2 featherweight pick Kaan Ofli (11-2-1) won over Valentina Shevchenko’s Nathan Fletcher and entered the TUF 32 featherweight semifinals. Check out his viral segment with housemate Paddy McCrory, opening up about his journey and struggle so far.
The Ultimate Fighter 32 airs live every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). The end of the season will likely announce the trilogy bout between champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. The bout will likely take place at UFC 306 at the Las Vegas Sphere. In the coming weeks, the tournament format will follow in determining the TUF season 32 winner.
