Historically speaking, “The Ultimate Fighter” is not a reality television program known for its classiness.
That’s par for the course in the genre, but the seminal MMA series has hit some pretty low lows — on more than one occasion involving bodily liquids deposited where castmates eat and sleep.
And then there’s the mean-mugging machismo that runs rampant in many seasons, both among the contestant fighters and the star-level fighters who coach them.
But if one of this season’s coaches is to be believed, viewers are in for a level of civility rarely glimpsed through the first 31 seasons of the program, even when competing opposite two-time opponent and current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso.
“I’m a very positive person and never go too much on hating each other because I focus on positive energy rather than bringing in all the negativity around me,” Valentina Shevchenko told The Post via video call on Monday, a day ahead of the season premiere of “TUF.” “I feel good about Alexa. I feel good about her. And I’m not saying that just for saying; I am saying what I feel. I didn’t try to create drama or conflict.”
The latest season, dubbed “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs Team Shevchenko,” will air weekly at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday on ESPN+.
Shevchenko pointed out that this is just the fourth time out of 32 seasons of the series, which premiered in 2005 when it ushered in a new generation of MMA and UFC fans, to feature women as the coaches and, in turn, the star attractions.
As such, Shevchenko (23-4-1, 15 finishes) seized the opportunity to show her “vision of female martial arts,” one that is less about mean-mugging machismo but still reflects the power and strength of the most dangerous female hand-to-hand sport combatants.
“We can be powerful, strong, but have to bring beauty,” Shevchenko said. “It has to be like yin-yang.”
How that manifests on the show, one can only watch and learn as Shevchenko and her stable of contestants compete against Grasso and hers, all composed of male middleweights and featherweights.
And, since Shevchenko and Grasso do not stay in the “TUF” house with them, there’s no guarantee it’s all grace and beauty.
Perhaps those will carry over into their expected trilogy fight later this year, with they aim to settle things after Grasso submitted Shevchenko last March to dethrone the champion and then managed a controversial draw in the September rematch.
The date and venue are yet to be determined and announced — Shevchenko had nothing to offer in terms of clarity on either front — but it’s safe to say a fall date sometime around or after the completion of this season’s episodes is the likely target.
That could line up with the UFC’s planned debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas, a venue at which UFC CEO Dana White is giddy to host UFC 306 in September.
Shevchenko had expressed reluctance to fight on that card because it was believed to be themed around Mexican Independence Day weekend, the same way their last fight was with Mexico’s Grasso the centerpiece and native Kyrgyzstani Shevchenko feeling that gave her opponent too great of an edge in the competitive fight.
However, Shevchenko is now operating under the belief that a different event would be Mexico-themed and is now more open to competing at the Sphere.
“My understanding, it’s not gonna be Noche UFC — it’s UFC 306 — so it’s not on the Mexican Independence Day,” Shevchenko explains. “It’s a different date, and it’s focusing on the Sphere itself. It’s close, but not that close. Different location, different time, different dates.”
It is likely Shevchenko’s final chance at regaining the championship she once successfully defended seven times before running into a puzzle that has been Grasso (16-3-1, six finishes).
This time, she can only hope, the former muay thai competitor will enter with her hands at 100 percent, or close to it.
“I’m ready to fight, no matter where and how,” Shevchenko asserts. “I fought last fight, all five rounds, with my broken hand. It’s like, no matter what happens, one hand, one leg, I will fight.”
And she’s more focused than ever on securing a finish of her own, taking the judges out of the equation entirely after a stunning 10-8 score for Grasso in the final round from one of the officials converted what would have a been a split decision victory for Shevchenko into a split draw.
Stopping women at the top of the division is far from easy — especially Grasso, whose only loss inside the distance was by submission six years ago — but Shevchenko is more determined this time to make it happen.
“Definitely hard, but nothing is impossible,” Shevchenko said. “For this training camp, it’s just more focused on finishing and especially different types of the finish.”
