The third fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko arrived at UFC 306, with Grasso the lone Mexican champ on the Noche UFC card.
Just one fight prior, Grasso’s jiu-jitsu coach, Diego Lopes, had put on a solid performance against Brian Ortega, laying the groundwork for the women’s flyweight champ. It was Shevchenko, however, who changed levels early and planted Grasso on her back. “Bullet” then went to work in guard, but found herself defending an arm-bar, which she eventually pulled free of. Shevchenko maintained top control, with Grasso closing her guard.
Despite all the time on top, Shevchenko wasn’t able to work much damage into the mix, with the pair heading to round two relatively fresh.
Round two again saw Shevchenko take the fight to the mat. Grasso, as in the first, was active off her back, looking to isolate an arm, legs up the challenger’s neck, perhaps with a triangle in mind. This time, the arm-bar came closer, but Shevchenko survived, and moved into side control as she escaped. In a scramble, Grasso made it back up, only to be taken right back down. While nearly reversing care of her butterfly guard, instead Grasso was planted on her back, Shevchenko in the driver’s seat again. This time, Grasso locked up an inverse triangle, while also isolating an arm! Shevchenko pulled free, surviving the attempt, but it was clear the champ had been working on her ground game.
While the third round played out more on the feet, Shevchenko would again get the fight down. And Grasso, while active once more, was having a harder time finding an opening for her submission attempts. Whether it was fatigue, or the fighters being a little more slick, she had a worse go of it in the third, with Shevchenko taking the back at the end of the round — and arguably taking the lead heading into the championship rounds.
Round four saw Grasso defending a takedown with a guillotine, with Shevchenko hitting the body. The choke started getting tighter, however, and Grasso rolled to the top, squeezing with all her might. The ref checked on Shevchenko, who signaled she was okay, and eventually pulled free in perhaps the most dramatic moment of the fight. Later in the round, Shevchenko would threaten with an arm-triangle choke, though she didn’t come close to the finish.
Still, by round five it was apparent that the champ was trailing, her title very much at risk of slipping away. Early, she tried to cut off the cage, with Shevchenko circling on the outside. Grasso closed the distance, looking for a bodylock and takedown of her own. She got it, going straight to mount only for Shevchenko to roll through and scramble out. And Valentina Shevchenko, in turn, landed her own takedown, though they’d return to the feet for the final minute or so. Grasso would tie up at center, hoping for a takedown and instead pulling Shevchenko on top of her — Shevchenko would take the back, finish there, and reclaim her title in the process.
Official Result: Valentina Shevchenko def. Alexa Grasso by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
