Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko at the UFC 306 official weigh-in Photo Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
The third bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko took place at UFC 306, with Grasso being the only Mexican champion on the night’s UFC card.
Grasso’s jiu-jitsu coach, Diego Lopez, had laid the foundation for the women’s flyweight championship with a solid performance against Brian Ortega in her previous bout. But Shevchenko changed levels early on, taking Grasso flat on her back. “The Bullet” then went into guard, only to get her arm pinned by the bar and eventually escape. Shevchenko maintained top control while Grasso closed guard.
Despite Shevchenko’s dominance throughout, she was unable to do much damage and both fighters went into the second round in relatively good spirits.
In the second round, Shevchenko again took it to the mat. Grasso, as in the first, was aggressively working from his back, trying to isolate the arm, with his foot on the challenger’s neck, possibly going for a triangle choke. This time, an armbar came close, but Shevchenko survived and transitioned to side control on his escape. In a scramble, Grasso got to his feet, but was quickly taken down again. He nearly reversed into a butterfly guard, but instead Grasso fell onto his back, and Shevchenko again took control. This time, Grasso locked in a reverse triangle choke, isolating the arm! Shevchenko escaped and survived the attempt, but it was clear the champion was working on his ground game.
The third round was more of a stand-up fight, but Shevchenko was again in control. Grasso was on the move again but struggled to find submission opportunities. Perhaps due to fatigue, or perhaps the fighters becoming a little more skilled, Grasso found herself at a greater disadvantage in the third round, until Shevchenko took her back at the end of the round and took the lead heading into the deciding round.
In the fourth round, Shevchenko attacked the body as Grasso tried to prevent a guillotine takedown. But the choke began to tighten, and Grasso rolled to the top and closed in with all her might. As the referee checked on Shevchenko, Shevchenko signaled she was OK and eventually released in the fight’s most dramatic moment. Later in the round, Shevchenko threatened with an arm-triangle choke, but couldn’t get the finish.
Still, by the fifth round, it was clear that the champion was on the back foot and in danger of losing her title. Early on, she tried to block off the cage while Shevchenko circled the outside of it. Grasso closed the distance and went for a body lock and takedown. She got it and quickly went for mount, but Shevchenko got through and scrambled out. Valentina Shevchenko then got a takedown, but was back on her feet for the last minute or so. Grasso grappled in the center, hoping for a takedown, but instead pulled Shevchenko on top of her. Shevchenko got her back and finished her there, reclaiming the title in the process.
Official result: Valentina Shevchenko defeats Alexa Grasso by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
