In a highly anticipated main event at Noche UFC on September 16, Valentina Shevchenko (23-4) sought to reclaim the flyweight title from Alexa Grasso (16-3). After five closely-contested rounds, the bout ended in a controversial split draw, allowing Grasso to retain her title.
Controversial 10-8 round
The controversy surrounding the match stemmed from the 47-47 scorecard rendered by judge Mike Bell, who awarded a 10-8 fifth round in favor of Grasso. Grasso had only controlled the last 90 seconds of the round, leading Shevchenko to immediately express her disagreement with the result. Shevchenko blamed the controversial score on the potential pressure felt by the judges due to the event being held in honor of Mexican Independence Day.
Dana White demands investigation
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, along with a majority of fans and pundits, completely disagreed with the 10-8 score and suggested an investigation of Bell. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has seemingly assured White that Bell is a capable judge and this was an honest mistake. White said at the Contender Series press conference, “When I found out one of the judges scored it 10-8, this guy should be f—-ing investigated for this. This is the craziest s—t I’ve ever seen in my life… They’ve assured me this guy isn’t a bad guy. He just f—-d up and made a mistake. It’s unfortunate. There’s no way in hell that was a 10-8 round.”
As for the next steps in the flyweight division, White has made his intentions clear. “We have to do the rematch,” he said. “We will rematch them. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the fight that needs to happen.”