Valentina Shevchenko wants her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Flyweight title back.
Alexa Grasso shocked the world at UFC 285 this past March 2023. Challenging for her first world title, the Mexican boxing standout overcame one of the greatest fighters of all time, sinking in a tight face crank in round four to force the tap (watch highlights).
The finishing sequence began with an ill-fated spinning kick from Shevchenko near the Octagon wall, resulting in Grasso wisely taking advantage and getting the then-champion’s back. Aside from that one moment, everything was going as “The Bullet” expected it to.
“Everything was by the plan,” Shevchenko told Red Corner MMA. “Until the moment in the fourth round, yes. I kind of expected from her — because she was in the position when she has to bring everything, do something crazy, or something like that. It’s obvious because the contenders, they do these things and I studied her previous fights, I watched her fights, I expected what she did and it just happened. It’s not gonna happen ever again.”
Shevchenko’s Flyweight run had been about as perfect as a champion could ever dream of up until perhaps her previous split decision title defense against Taila Santos. Defending her throne a women’s record of seven consecutive times, the Kyrgyzstan native still believes she’s the very best at 125 pounds regardless of her last fight’s outcome and she’ll prove it in her rematch with Grasso at Noche UFC in two weeks (Sat., Sept. 16, 2023).
“I would say this is a good example of martial arts,” Shevchenko said. “Even when you know you’re the best, even when you know you are the most skillful fighter, even when you know that you have much more to bring on to the game, there is sometimes like every second a chance where you have to be with full attention about what’s happening.
“That time it’s kind of like yeah, it was four rounds straight to my side, was winning the fight,” she continued. “I was sure I was doing everything right but you see just a second and everything can be completely different. The most important [thing] is that I have another fight and I have another opportunity to prove that I am the best. I am the champion. I will do that.”