UFC 285 is turning out to be everything it promised to be and more. With some amazing fights and some big results, fans are getting their money’s worth. However, as the action continues, Valentina Shevchenko has just lost her flyweight title!
Coming into fight week, barely anyone doubted Valentina. Facing the #6 ranked contender Alexa Grasso, everybody expected an easy night at the office for Shevchenko. However, Alexa came in with determination and a game plan to take down the champ.
ALEXA GRASSO HAS SUBMITTED VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO!!
WE HAVE A NEW FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION 👑🇲🇽 #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/t4HMH5vXnw
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2023
From the get-go, Alexa established herself very early on and showed why she deserved to be in the Octagon fighting for the title. After constant pressure and a frantic back and forth, it was evident that the fight was going to be a close one. As such, with all close fights, any mistake is likely to be heavily punished.
Thus, in the fourth round, a miscued spinning kick from Shevchenko saw Alexa Grasso pounce on the opportunity. Following the costly slip-up from Shevchenko, the Mexican fighter immediately took the back and submitted the champ moments later. Understandably, the fight world is still in shock at what they have just witnessed.
Valentina Shevchenko still believes she is better than Alexa Grasso
After the initial shock, fans and everyone in the arena needed a minute to grasp what had just occurred in front of their very eyes. A closely fought contest, hardly anyone was expecting the outcome that we saw. As the celebrations for Grasso continued, a dejected Valentina could be seen in the background.
All of a sudden, it dawned on Bullet Valentina that her title along with her 9-fight win streak was wiped away in a moment. However, knowing the contender that Valentina is, she immediately declared her intentions to rematch Grasso and win back her title. As with most champions, Shevchenko believes that she is still the better fighter and exact revenge later this year.
With Shevchenko also losing her belt, she joins the list of UFC champions who have lost their titles in recent times. As such, Valentina will be accompanied by the likes of Deiveson Figueiredo, Amanda Nunes, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman. All of these champions lost their titles in shock upsets.
With Amanda Nunes also able to overcome her loss and snatch back her title, Valentina is expected to emulate the same. Prior to this fight, Valentina declared her aspirations to fight for the bantamweight title again. However, she must reclaim her title before she can hope to challenge in another division.
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