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UFC 306 (aka "Noche UFC") takes place Saturday, so it's time to break down the top fights, plus make DFS picks and predictions for the key matchups on the card.
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Will take on Grasso once again
Shevchenko (hand) will face Alexa Grasso in a flyweight bout in UFC Noche at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sep. 14.
ANALYSIS
Grasso vs Shevchenko will be the co-main event of a thrilling event, as the headliner of UFC Noche will be the epic fight between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight world title. This will be the third contest between these two elite fighters, and considering the most recent event between them ended in a split fight, the stakes will be even higher here. Shevchenko will aim to steal the belt from Grasso while knowing that she lost her world-champion status against the same opponent in March 2023.
Grasso vs Shevchenko will be the co-main event of a thrilling event, as the headliner of UFC Noche will be the epic fight between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight world title. This will be the third contest between these two elite fighters, and considering the most recent event between them ended in a split fight, the stakes will be even higher here. Shevchenko will aim to steal the belt from Grasso while knowing that she lost her world-champion status against the same opponent in March 2023.
Suffers fractured hand
Shevchenko announced Tuesday via social media that she suffered a comminuted fracture on her right hand while fighting Alexa Grasso to a split draw at Noche UFC in Las Vegas on Saturday and will require surgery.
ANALYSIS
Shevchenko will be in a cast for a month and will be barred from taking contact for three months. She suffered the injury in the first round of her title rematch against Alexa Grasso, who retained the 125-pound title.
Shevchenko will be in a cast for a month and will be barred from taking contact for three months. She suffered the injury in the first round of her title rematch against Alexa Grasso, who retained the 125-pound title.
Quest to regain belt ends in draw
Shevchenko and champion Alexa Grasso fought to a split draw (47-48, 48-47, 47-47) in their UFC Women's Flyweight title fight on Saturday at Noche UFC in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
There's a lot to dissect here. Depending on your point of view, Shevchenko was either lucky to emerge with the draw, or extremely unlikely she didn't regain the title. Rounds 1, 2, and 3 were clear as day, with Valentina winning the odd numbers and Grasso the second frame. Round 4 was closer, but likely deserved to go in favor of the current champion. Everything got screwy in Round 5. Shevchenko was working behind her jab and seemingly in full control, at which point Grasso somehow took her back, flattened her out, and then nearly submitted her. Judge Mike Bell scored the frame 10-8 for Grasso, which is difficult to justify considering she was losing most of the round. Virtually all of Valentina's success came behind her previously mentioned jab, plus her four successful takedowns. The bottom line is that these two seemed destined to fight again.
There's a lot to dissect here. Depending on your point of view, Shevchenko was either lucky to emerge with the draw, or extremely unlikely she didn't regain the title. Rounds 1, 2, and 3 were clear as day, with Valentina winning the odd numbers and Grasso the second frame. Round 4 was closer, but likely deserved to go in favor of the current champion. Everything got screwy in Round 5. Shevchenko was working behind her jab and seemingly in full control, at which point Grasso somehow took her back, flattened her out, and then nearly submitted her. Judge Mike Bell scored the frame 10-8 for Grasso, which is difficult to justify considering she was losing most of the round. Virtually all of Valentina's success came behind her previously mentioned jab, plus her four successful takedowns. The bottom line is that these two seemed destined to fight again.
Rematch with Grasso set
Shevchenko will fight Alexa Grasso in a flyweight bout at a UFC event on Sept. 16, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports Thursday.
ANALYSIS
Shevchenko is set for a rematch after she shocking dropped the UFC Women's Flyweight title to Grasso back in March. It was her first loss since 2017 to Amanda Nunes, and it snapped a nine-fight win streak for the 35 year-old fighter. She'll look to regain her title six months after she lost it.
Shevchenko is set for a rematch after she shocking dropped the UFC Women's Flyweight title to Grasso back in March. It was her first loss since 2017 to Amanda Nunes, and it snapped a nine-fight win streak for the 35 year-old fighter. She'll look to regain her title six months after she lost it.
Drops title in shocker
Shevchenko lost her UFC Women's Flyweight Championship on Saturday, falling to Alexa Grasso via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:34 of Round 4 at UFC 285 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
The gap between Shevchenko and her challengers at 125 pounds has seemingly been getting smaller and smaller in recent years, and Grasso finally got her. While the result is obviously crushing, it's not as if Valentina fought poorly. She seemed to have some trouble with the striking of Grasso, but her wrestling game was on point. She landed 4-of-6 takedown attempts and kept Alexa pinned to the mat for long stretches of both the second and third rounds. Shevchenko was up 29-28 on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage, so, at worst, she would have had a chance to win the fight with a strong fifth round. It wasn't meant to be. Valentina said in her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that she wants an immediate rematch. Considering she had won nine straight fights entering this one, including seven defenses of her title, she's going to get it. Expect Shevchenko to be favored once again if the rematch does come to be.
The gap between Shevchenko and her challengers at 125 pounds has seemingly been getting smaller and smaller in recent years, and Grasso finally got her. While the result is obviously crushing, it's not as if Valentina fought poorly. She seemed to have some trouble with the striking of Grasso, but her wrestling game was on point. She landed 4-of-6 takedown attempts and kept Alexa pinned to the mat for long stretches of both the second and third rounds. Shevchenko was up 29-28 on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage, so, at worst, she would have had a chance to win the fight with a strong fifth round. It wasn't meant to be. Valentina said in her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that she wants an immediate rematch. Considering she had won nine straight fights entering this one, including seven defenses of her title, she's going to get it. Expect Shevchenko to be favored once again if the rematch does come to be.