Alexa Grasso submits Valentina Shevchenko to become UFC flyweight champion at UFC 285
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to us tonight, March 4, 2023, for UFC 285, headlined by back-to-back title fights.
The main event of the evening came between the returning greatest of all-time, former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and his opponent, former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
Our co-main event of the evening came at 125 lbs showcasing UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who aimed to make the eighth-straight defense of her title opposing no. 6 ranked Alexa Grasso.
Shevchenko had gone 9-0 in the UFC’s flyweight division coming in since dropping down from 135 lbs, while Grasso had gone 4-0 in the UFC’s flyweight division since moving up from 115 lbs.
Round one
Shevchenko looks sharp in the early goings of the first, varying her attack well.
Grasso catches her with a good combination midway through the round however, and lands the same combination much harder not long thereafter. She also takes the champion down in the final ten seconds of the opening round, though Shevchenko was right back to her feet.
Round two
Shevchenko secures an early takedown to begin the second, and eventually passes to side control where she dominates the first three minutes of the round. Grasso gets back to her feet and lands another heavy combination, before she’s taken down once again, ending the second on her back.
Round three
Grasso is looking good on the feet, as she’s continuing to land punches in the middle of her combinations.
Shevchenko lands a quick combination before immediately shooting in on, and securing a takedown early on in the middle stretch.
Grasso gets back to her feet a couple minutes later, only to get taken down again. Shevchenko takes her back and one point, though the round ends with Grasso holding onto a guillotine choke from guard.
Round four
Much of the fourth round is spent with both women on their feet, and it was pretty even through the initial four minutes.
However, Shevchenko throws a spinning back kick and Grasso capitalizes on it, immediately taking her back and sinking in the rear naked choke. The most dominant champion in women’s flyweight history defended it as long as she could, but was eventually forced to tap.
ALEXA GRASSO HAS SUBMITTED VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO!!
WE HAVE A NEW FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION
#UFC285 pic.twitter.com/t4HMH5vXnw
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2023
Alexa Grasso becomes just the second UFC women’s flyweight champion in promotional history with her submission finish over the woman many believe to be the greatest female fighter of all time. She also became just the second Mexican-born champion in UFC history tonight at UFC 285.
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