Valentina Shevchenko still thinks she beat Alexa Grasso the last time out.
After surrendering the flyweight title to Grasso at UFC 285, the two would run it back six months later at last year’s Noche UFC event. After five entertaining rounds of action, it appeared as though ‘Bullet’ would take her title back. Unfortunately, that was not the case after judge Mike Bell inexplicably scored the fifth round 10-8 in favor of Grasso resulting in a split draw.
Though she’s still frustrated by the last result, Shevchenko doesn’t believe there’s anything she needs to do differently to ensure she leaves Las Vegas with the 125-pound crown this Saturday night.
“I can’t say the last two times, it’s wrong to say that way,” Shevchenko said at UFC 306 media day. “Our second fight, everyone could see that I won the fight but they give a draw. A draw in this circumstances I’d say by itself. What should I do, what should I change? I don’t know.
“I really had to focus on to perform and prepare myself the best way what I can. I can say I had an amazing training camp. I push myself to all that’s impossible limits, and yeah, just ready for the action and it’s going to be amazing event and amazing fight.”
Valentina Shevchenko knows she needs to "finish the fight" to avoid another controversial ending against Alex Grasso at #NocheUFC:
"Everyone could see I won the [second] fight. … What should I change? I don't know." pic.twitter.com/cAMWMtIkR0
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 11, 2024
Valentina Shevchenko Aims to Keep the Judges Out of Her Co-Main Event with Alexa Grasso
Truth be told, there is one thing Shevchenko can do this time around to avoid any scorecard shenanigans. Simply put, leave the judges out of it.
“The concern is to finish the fight,” Shevchenko said. “This is No. 1 what’s in my head. It’s like when to seize opportunity, just do what you have to do, one hundred percent. Finish the fight.”
Even with 15 career finishes on her resume, putting Alexa Grasso away inside the distance will be no easy take for the Kyrgyz. Since making her mixed martial arts debut more than a decade ago, Grasso has never been KO’d and she’s only been submitted once—a rear-naked choke loss against Tatiana Suarez way back in 2018.
Watch Shevchenko’s full media day appearance below:
