UFC flyweight Valentina Shevchenko will now undergo surgery after her recent fight with Alexa Grasso.
The rematch between Shevchenko and Grasso concluded in a rather odd draw. It was an unfortunate night for Shevchenko, who was unable to reclaim her 125lb title, and will not be side-lined due to a hand injury.
Following the fight, Shevchenko revealed via the MMA Hour that she broke her thumb in the very first round of the fight.
“I injured my hand in the first round,” Shevchenko said. “I hit with a cross and it landed on the side and affected my thumb. I could feel it right away, in the first round. That was the reason I could not finish my submission. This affected me to pull my grip. I had the position when I was on her back but I couldn’t close my arm because of the finger. But again, I’m not here trying to find excuses why that happened. If I would try to find excuses, I would say, ‘Oh my God, I broke my finger, I can’t continue the fight.’ But no, I fought four more rounds with a broken finger.” (H/T MMA Fighting)
Shevchenko will now be in a cast for a month, but will also have to have a couple months of no contact before she can get back to a title charge.
What’s next for Valentina Shevchenko?
While Shevchenko definitely would rather get the trilogy matchup, she also seems keen to fight other top contenders to prove her worth.
“If people want to see the trilogy, I’m here and I think it’s deserved as well. If they want to see me move up [in weight], I’m moving up. If they want to see something else, I want to fight anyone, because this is my mindset. I’m not choosing my opponent, I just go and fight,” said Shevchenko.
Do you wan to see Alexa Grasso Vs. Valentina Shevchenko III?