Alexa Grasso of Mexico will defend her UFC women’s flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko in a rematch on Saturday, Sept. 16 in Las Vegas. The actual date, which coincidentally falls on Mexico’s Independence Day, bears special significance for boxing aficionados as well; championship matches in the middle of September in the Nevada desert have long been a regular.
Mexico’s protracted struggle for independence over 200 years ago left a lasting impact on both the nation and its citizens. The battling mentality of a nation that has produced more than 200 world boxing champions should naturally take center stage this weekend, one of only two major combat events each year. Dieciséis de Septiembre, which typically marks the start of the celebrations for Hispanic
On September 16th is commemorated
Dieciséis de Septiembre honours Mexico’s declaration of independence from Spain, much way the Fourth of July holiday in the United States does for the colonies’ break with England. The first scream for freedom was made on September 16, 1810, by Miguel Hidalgo, a Catholic priest serving in the town of Dolores in central Mexico who is largely regarded as the nation’s principal founder. Three centuries of Spanish control over Mexico were put an end by the Treaty of Cordoba in 1821 after an 11-year struggle that resulted in up to 500,000 casualties.
Today, politicians from Mexico, both at home and abroad, ceremoniously recite El Grito De Dolores, Hidalgo’s well-known scream. These leaders strike a bell to start the celebrations, just like Hidalgo did two centuries
ago. Following chants honouring the nation’s founders, the celebration is concluded with vivacious and repeated yells of “Viva México!” Mexican ambassadors and consuls frequently gather the largest Mexican American groups in the U.S. for celebrations in major cities around the nation.
The festival of Cinco de Mayo, which honours the Mexican army’s triumph against the French empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1962, should not be confused with Dieciséis de Septiembre. On the fight calendar, both dates are equally well-liked.
When did boxing start to become popular on weekends?
Armando Ramos vs. Erubey Carmona at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles in 1972 marked the first occasion in which Mexican fighters headlined an event to coincide with the Mexican Independence Day weekend. But it took nearly 20 years for the concept of using Las Vegas as the hub for such events to become a reality.
On September 14, 1991, the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas hosted the legendary Mexican fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, who is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Promoter Don King, who oversaw Chavez during the most prosperous phase of the boxer’s career, was the one who came up with the concept. Chavez easily won the fight by majority decision against junior welterweight Lonnie Smith, which was largely a waste of time. King and Chavez continued to return to the battle because of the interest it had sparked, as seen by the crowd size and pay-per-view viewership.
From 1991 to 1995, Chavez scheduled a battle every year during the week of Dieciséis. Chavez didn’t leave Nevada until 1993, when Pernell Whitaker’s megabout needed San Antonio’s enormous Alamodome to accommodate the crowd size.
Notable Mexican Independence Day Boxing Events
On Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2014, American Floyd Mayweather—one of the greatest pay-per-view draws ever—fought against Argentinean welterweight Marcos Maidana. Calls for a rematch followed Mayweather’s victory by majority decision, and one was agreed upon over the Mexican Independence Day holiday that same year. At the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mayweather triumphed in that battle as well, this time by unanimous decision.
Canelo Alvarez, a Mexican superstar and four-weight world champion, has recently dominated the date and solidified his position as boxing’s top attraction despite not being on the weekend’s schedule. Between 2017 and 2022, Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin fought three times, all in mid-September, in Las Vegas. Alvarez, like Chavez, has occasionally avoided Las Vegas for his Dieciséis fights; in 2016, he competed against Liam Smith for the WBO junior middleweight belt at the AT&T Stadium of the Dallas Cowboys to accommodate more spectators.
On September 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Alvarez will defend his undisputed super middleweight title against Jermell Charlo.
big draw this weekend
The first Noche UFC event, honouring the custom of scheduling fights on Mexican Independence Day, will feature Grasso and Shevchenko at T-Mobile Arena (view live on ESPN+). Other fighters of Mexican heritage on the card include Loopy Godinez, Tracy Cortez, and Raul Rosas Jr.
At UFC 285 in March of last year, Grasso stunned former UFC women’s flyweight champion Shevchenko, earning her a portion of the Performance of the Night bonus and sparking speculation of a rematch right away. The fact that Grasso became the third Mexican-born UFC champion, after fellow citizens Yair Rodriguez and Brandon Moreno, indicates that the country’s boxing expertise is starting to spill over into other popular combat sports
some of the date’s most memorable
| YEAR | BOUT |
| 2022 | Canelo Alvarez def. Gennadiy Golovkin |
| 2018 | Canelo Alvarez def. Gennadiy Golovkin |
| 2017 | Canelo Alvarez draws Gennadiy Golovkin |
| 2013 | Floyd Mayweather def. Canelo Alvarez |
| 2011 | Floyd Mayweather def. Victor Ortiz |
| 2008 | Juan Manuel Marquez def. Joel Casamayor |
| 2004 | Bernard Hopkins def. Oscar De La Hoya |
| 2003 | Shane Mosley def. Oscar De La Hoya |
| 2002 | Oscar De La Hoya def. Fernando Vargas |
| 1999 | Felix Trinidad def. Oscar De La Hoya |
| 1998 | Oscar De La Hoya def. Julio Cesar Chavez |
| 1997 | Oscar De La Hoya def. Hector Camacho |
| 1994 | Julio Cesar Chavez def. Meldrick Taylor |
| 1992 | Julio Cesar Chavez def. Hector Camacho |
