Shevchenko Reclaims Title in Historic UFC Trilogy

The highly anticipated conclusion to the first trilogy in UFC women’s history reached its climatic end on Saturday, as Valentina Shevchenko reclaimed her flyweight title. Competing at UFC 306 inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Shevchenko defeated Alexa Grasso via unanimous decision. This was the third successive title confrontation between the two, beginning in March 2023, when Grasso initially shocked the MMA world by taking the title from Shevchenko in a decision victory. Their second encounter ended in a majority draw, setting the stage for their decisive third match.

In a dominant display, Shevchenko employed a grappling-heavy strategy that Grasso found challenging to counter. Over the course of five rounds, Shevchenko managed to take Grasso down repeatedly, securing unanimous 50-45 scores from the judges. According to UFC Stats, Grasso landed a mere 18 significant strikes, while Shevchenko maintained more than 16 minutes of control time on the ground during the 25-minute clash.

“It’s a dream come true fighting in the Sphere,” remarked Shevchenko. “Everything about this fight was more satisfying than the last one. The game plan was to go in there and fight to the end.” This victory was particularly gratifying for Shevchenko, who firmly believed she had won their September 2023 rematch. That bout ended in a majority draw after one judge controversially scored the final round 10-8 in favor of Grasso, questioning whether the margin reflected Grasso’s performance.

In the conclusive showdown, Shevchenko demonstrated superior skill by keeping Grasso at bay through well-timed long-range attacks and strategic takedowns. Grasso struggled against Shevchenko’s eight of twelve successful takedown attempts and was unable to capitalize on her submission attempts from the back, including a threatening guillotine choke in the fourth round, which Shevchenko successfully defended.

Despite some crowd dissatisfaction during quieter moments in the co-main event, Shevchenko remained unfazed as her title-winning performance unfolded. The emotional toll was evident as the final bell rang, signaling the end of a dream comeback for Shevchenko, who had held the 125-pound title for nearly four years before Grasso claimed it in 2022. Born in Kyrgyzstan, Shevchenko is hailed as one of the greatest female fighters in the sport’s history and will likely face France’s top contender, Manon Fiorot, in her upcoming title defense.