Huge Title Eliminator Fight Featuring Ex-UFC Champ Reportedly Set for Noche UFC 2026

A potential title eliminator fight featuring one of Mexico’s biggest stars has reportedly been set for this year’s edition of Noche UFC.

Reportedly set to take place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ on September 12, the UFC Fight Night event will mark the fourth edition of the UFC’s now-yearly celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

The Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX hosted last year’s Noche UFC card, which saw Diego Lopes secure his second crack at UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski when he knocked out top contender Jean Silva at the end of the second round.

Manon Fiorot vs. Alexa Grasso Set for Noche UFC 2026

Although it won’t serve as the card’s main event, Marcel Dorff reports that Noche UFC has received a massive first fight in the form of a women’s flyweight matchup between Manon Fiorot and the division’s former titleholder Alexa Grasso.

Manon Fiorot (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Jasmine Jasudavicius (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now closing in on 10 years as a member of the UFC roster, Grasso joined the promotion as a strawweight in 2016 and initially went 3-3 before she made the move up to the flyweight division in 2020.

Alexa Grasso (red gloves) fights Valentina Shevchenko (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Alexa Grasso Upset Valentina Shevchenko to Win UFC Belt

The change paid off for Grasso in a big way, as she won four-straight fights to secure a title shot against long-reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 285.

Valentina Shevchenko (red gloves) walks out before the women's flyweight championship bout against Zhang Weili (not pictured) during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grasso secured one of the biggest upsets in UFC championship history when she submitted Shevchenko in the fourth round to win the flyweight belt. After fighting to a split draw in their immediate rematch, “Bullet” reclaimed her title when she took a unanimous decision in their trilogy bout at UFC 306.

A return at UFC 315 saw Grasso drop another decision to Natalia Silva, but at UFC Seattle the Mexican star scored arguably the most violent finish over career when she knocked out Maycee Barber with a left hand and immediately jumped in to lock up a rear naked choke on her unconscious opponent.

Manon Fiorot Scored Massive Knockout at UFC Vancouver

A 1-1-1 record against Shevchenko leaves the door open for Grasso to earn a fourth fight with the future UFC Hall of Famer, but Fiorot will also be looking to secure another shot at UFC gold when the pair meet at Noche UFC.

Currently ranked one spot ahead of Grasso at #2 in the Meta AI UFC rankings, Fiorot put together a perfect 7-0 run to begin her UFC career after stopping Vitoria Leonardo in her promotional debut in 2021.

Valentina Shevchenko (red gloves) fights Manon Fiorot (blue gloves) during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That stretch of victories earned the 36-year-old a crack at Shevchenko at UFC 315, where she dropped a unanimous decision for the first setback of her UFC career. “The Beast” rebounded in a big way when she returned at UFC Vancouver last October and knocked out surging contender Jasmine
Jasudavicius in just over a minute.

Manon Fiorot (red gloves) reacts after the fight against fights Jasmine Jasudavicius (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

News of Grasso vs. Fiorot is sure to get fans clamoring for more updates regarding this year’s edition of Noche UFC, and the promotion will presumably start rolling out fight announcement for the card in the coming weeks given that September 12 is only two months away.

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