Valentina
Shevchenko was winning — that is, until she wasn’t.
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The longtime flyweight champion was ahead 29-28 on all three
cageside judges’
scorecards heading into Round 4 of her title defense against
Alexa
Grasso in the UFC 285 co-main event. That all changed when
Shevchenko whiffed on a spinning back kick, which ultimately
allowed Grasso to take her back and lock in a face crank for a
submission victory at the 4:34 mark of the period.
“This is kind of like what happens in mixed martial arts,”
Shevchenko said in her post-fight interview in the Octagon. “You’re
winning the fight all around, all around, no doubt. And a stupid
situation can change the whole game. This is the part of the game.
Congratulations to Alexa, and I know that I’m stronger and if not
this spinning kick [it] would be a different result.”
Shevchenko may have been on her way to winning that frame as well.
According to UFCStats.com, “Bullet” held a 22-to-13 advantage in
significant strikes and a 32-to-20 edge in total strikes landed
prior to the finish. Instead, her reign ended in shocking fashion
after seven mostly dominant title defenses. It was Shevchenko’s
first defeat since a split-decision defeat to Amanda
Nunes in a bantamweight title bout at UFC 215 in September
2017.
Shevchenko further reacted to the defeat in a post on her Instagram
account.
“Martial arts is my life and I will be back for immediate rematch
stronger than ever,” she wrote. “[Fighting] doesn’t forgive any
mistake. Especially it feels frustrating when you [were] dominating
all the fight. No excuses, only hard work. Ready to start all
over.”
In many cases, long-reigning champions such as Shevchenko are
granted immediate rematches after losing their belts. For her part,
Grasso has already expressed a willingness to square off with
Shevchenko again.
“Of course,” Grasso said at the post-fight press conference. “She
was so dominant in the division. Of course we can do this
again.”