The first trilogy in UFC women’s history came to its conclusion on Saturday, and it was Valentina Shevchenko who enjoyed the last laugh.
Shevchenko (24-4-1) reclaimed her flyweight title by defeating Alexa Grasso (16-4-1) via unanimous decision at UFC 306 inside Sphere. It was the third consecutive title fight between Shevchenko and Grasso, dating back to March 2023. Grasso took the belt from Shevchenko in the first meeting in a massive upset by decision. The second bout ended in a majority draw one year ago.
The final act proved to be surprisingly one-sided. Shevchenko, 35, executed a very grappling-heavy game plan, as she took Grasso down in each of the five rounds en route to unanimous 50-45 scores. Shevchenko's dominant grappling performance made it clear that she was determined to reclaim her title.
Shevchenko secured eight takedowns and held a whopping 16:04 control time in the fight. Rather than risking things on the feet with Grasso, an excellent boxer, Shevchenko took the champion down whenever she had the chance.
Grasso seemed prepared to fight off her back. She offered multiple submission attempts but couldn't lock Shevchenko up in anything that would have her in legitimate trouble.
According to UFC Stats, Grasso managed to land only 18 significant strikes. Shevchenko had more than 16 minutes of control time on the ground in the 25-minute fight.
It was a night of vindication for Shevchenko, who adamantly said she felt she won the rematch in September 2023. Shevchenko would have won that bout had one judge not scored the final round a 10-8 for Grasso, which is what led to the majority draw result. Although Grasso clearly won the fifth round, many questioned whether it was dominant enough to merit a 10-8 score.
Shevchenko left no doubt on Saturday, essentially neutralizing Grasso's offense. She expertly picked at her from long range on the feet, before shooting in on well-timed takedowns. Grasso surrendered eight of 12 takedown attempts and struggled to work back to her feet. She did threaten Shevchenko with a handful of submissions off her back, including a tight guillotine in the fourth round, but couldn't finish any off.
The crowd booed the lack of action in the co-main event at times, but that did nothing to dampen Shevchenko's spirits. She looked emotional as the final bell sounded. She had held the 125-pound title for nearly four years when Grasso took it from her in 2022.
Originally born in Kyrgyzstan, Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. She had never gone winless in back-to-back appearances in MMA until the majority draw to Grasso. She will likely face French No. 1 contender Manon Fiorot in her next title defense.
Shevchenko's Post-Fight Celebration
“It’s a dream come true fighting in the Sphere,” Shevchenko said. “Everything about this fight was more satisfying [than the last one]. The game plan was to go in there and fight to the end.”
The Aftermath: What's Next for Grasso and Shevchenko?
Looking ahead, Manon Fiorot, who weighed in successfully and was prepared to step in had Shevchenko or Grasso missed weight, is likely next up for a title shot. Grasso will need to win a fight or two before putting herself in a position to regain her title. Because we've already seen Grasso-Shevchenko three times, it may be challenging for Grasso to put himself in a position for another title shot–at least against her rival. Grasso may be looking at a fight with another top contender at 125 pounds before she can put herself back in immediate contention.
A Look Back at the Trilogy
The matchups between Shevchenko and Grasso marked the first women's trilogy in UFC history, and remains to be seen if a historic fourth meeting comes down the line as a result.
This article was written with insights from the following sources:
