Valentina Shevchenko felt she did enough to edge a competitive rematch with Alexa Grasso last September, having had UFC flyweight championship gold skillfully snatched away after a costly mistake backfired in their first meeting. Now, they settle their score in the co-main of a card the promotion are billing as the greatest live sporting event of all-time. This trilogy bout fits it perfectly.
Scorecards mean Shevchenko must finish it, but can she?
Alexa Grasso (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3 for women’s flyweight title
UFC 306 co-main event at Las Vegas’ Sphere, ringwalks around 5am BST
VALENTINA Shevchenko made it clear, when the opportunity presents itself, the former champion must seize it and finish matters against Alexa Grasso – who will have only improved in the year since their closely-contested second meeting, buoyed by another partisan crowd in her favour on Mexican Independence Day.
If she made a fatal mistake fantastically exploited by a savvy challenger in March 2023, the subsequent showdown exceeded expectations but left the 125lb division without clarity as to who was the undisputed queen of a division long reigned by Shevchenko but now instead is packed with younger, rising contenders.
Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber and even former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas are all fresh names pining for the next shot at championship gold, while Shevchenko is 36 heading into a 12th title fight and this year-long layoff represents her longest since joining the promotion in 2015.
Putting that into context: the aforementioned quartet and Grasso have eight UFC main event bouts (10 title fights) combined. They’re in a completely different league altogether, but father time is undefeated. Grasso should win, at least on paper.
“I had an injury in the [second] fight, needed a surgery. It took me a few months, my hands are my strongest weapon, you know. I love to box and it was really hard, honestly. but it’s fully healed and I’m ready for that. I’m happy my body heals really well.”
- Grasso told reporters a hand injury requiring surgery caused a lengthy delay before this trilogy
The pair were opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter earlier this year and it’s no surprise that after nine five-minute rounds shared, with the potential for five more this weekend, there’s mutual respect and a professional relationship between champions who’ll forever be linked. Last September after their rematch, I wrote this:
They combined to produce one of the best WMMA matches in recent history and yet, rather than marvel at what was on display from both in-front of a cauldron of noise on Mexican Independence Day, you’re wondering when this cycle stops.
Valentina’s corner, specifically older sister Antonina, repeatedly warned the 35-year-old to stay at distance and be careful before the final round as Grasso had to push the pace and produce something special, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. She evolved in doing just that.
A slick back take saw her shock the world, and not for the first time over an exhausting 25-minute battle, she used that spatial awareness and timing to her advantage in deep waters, excellently reversing a Shevchenko trip takedown.
From there, she grabbed Shevchenko’s back, landed some ground-and-pound strikes before looking to secure a choke submission as Bullet instinctively defended her neck and landed hammer fists from bottom position. It was a fitting visual given the war preceding it, but shouldn’t have swayed a decisive scorecard the way it ultimately did.
At a time where x-factors between bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili in the main event have been explored, a more intriguing subplot features just before them. How will the third and final frame end? We’ll soon see.
UFC 306 card in full, is as follows
Main card
Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley (c) vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3
Featherweight: Brian Ortega [3] vs. Diego Lopes [12]
Lightweight: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics
Flyweight: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne
Prelim, early prelims
Women’s Bantamweight: Irene Aldana [5] vs. Norma Dumont [9]
Lightweight: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres
Women’s Strawweight: Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza
Flyweight: Edgar Chairez vs. Kevin Borjas
Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr vs. Aori Qileng
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 