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Merab Dvalishvili outfoxed Sean O’Malley and seized UFC bantamweight gold to avenge defeat for his friend and former champion Aljamain Sterling, after Valentina Shevchenko smartly stifled the partisan crowd before reclaiming the flyweight throne with a dominant decision win over Alexa Grasso in their trilogy on a night where two titles changed hands to finish an epic Sphere spectacle. Continue reading “UFC 306: Dvalishvili, Shevchenko claim gold with UD5 wins to top landmark card”
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. Continue reading “O’Malley and Dvalishvili headline but Grasso-Shevchenko 3 the real main event: finally they settle their flyweight score”
Erin Blanchfield’s boxing deficiencies were painfully laid bare under the lights over 25 minutes against an economical Manon Fiorot display in their main event title eliminator, while Joaquin Buckley’s move down a weight class continues to pay off as he’ll have a number next to his name at 170lbs this coming week after making longtime contender Vicente Luque look ordinary en route to a R2 finish.
Continue reading “UFC Atlantic City: Blanchfield has a big problem, Buckley boosted by Luque scalp”
After two contrasting decision defeats in her last two bouts, two-time former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas outlined the burning motivation behind a desire to conquer a new weight division at 125lbs. She gets a showcase opportunity this weekend against a highly-regarded ranked opponent in Amanda Ribas, with the flyweight landscape still navigating choppy waters. Continue reading “UFC Vegas 89: Namajunas motivated by falling short vs. Fiorot, Ribas now awaits”
After ending a 16-month layoff, women’s flyweight contender Tracy Cortez improved to 5-0 in the Octagon with a UD3 win over Jasmine Jasudavicius but wasn’t satisfied being stashed on the Noche UFC card’s early prelims – headlined by a title fight in her division. With more activity, a steady step-up in opposition and more composure, she could soon make a title push of her own. Continue reading “Tracy Cortez targets a title tilt, and given the women’s flyweight picture – why not?”
Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 was exactly as advertised: a much different fight than their first showdown just six months later, with both enjoying periods of success and throwing strikes aplenty across all angles trying to wrestle UFC gold from the other’s grasp. Instead though, after a thrilling contest over 25 minutes, we’re left to lament poor judging once again. Continue reading “Noche UFC: Grasso-Shevchenko 2 ends in split draw after contentious scorecards”
Continue reading “Noche UFC: So with doubts heightened, what does Valentina have in store?”
Former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane picked his strikes well and showed improved takedown defence in an assertive R2 TKO win over Serghei Spivac, a year after successfully headlining a similarly raucous Accor Arena. What about Rose Namajunas’ flyweight debut, or the resurgence of Volkan Oezdemir? Read on, for five thoughts from Saturday’s Fight Night card. Continue reading “UFC Paris 2: Five big takeaways, as Gane gets what he ordered in Spivac stoppage”
Jon Jones needed less than three minutes to clinch UFC heavyweight gold as he ended a three-year layoff in style, submitting Ciryl Gane on his long-awaited return. That finish came after Alexa Grasso’s stunning submission win over long-reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko, crowning her the new women’s flyweight queen after big wins for Shavkat Rakmonov and more in Las Vegas. Continue reading “UFC 285: Jon Jones dismantles Ciryl Gane in R1, Alexa Grasso submits Valentina Shevchenko in stunner”
After outpointing Viviane Araujo with slick boxing back in mid-October, Alexa Grasso [6] faces the toughest challenge of her 11-year professional career this weekend against long-reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Riding a four-fight winning streak at 125lbs, is she ready for the Bullet?
Continue reading “Rewind: Alexa Grasso’s UD win over Viviane Araujo on Oct. 15, is she ready for Shevchenko shot?”
Tatiana Suarez’s long-awaited return to the Octagon is scheduled for tonight after nearly four years on the sidelines. So, what better time than now to reflect upon an career-best victory last week for flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield over a former strawweight champion in Jessica Andrade last weekend? Continue reading “A week on: UFC Vegas 69 – Blanchfield’s R2 submission win over Andrade opens up possibilities”
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