In a highly anticipated rematch at UFC Noche, Valentina Shevchenko (23-4) faced off against Alexa Grasso (16-3) in an attempt to reclaim the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title. However, the match ended in a controversial split draw, with the 10-8 fifth-round scorecard being just one of the contentious points. Another point of debate was Shevchenko’s reaction to Grasso allegedly throwing illegal knees in the first round.
Illegal Knees Controversy
During a scramble in the fourth frame, Grasso evaded a takedown attempt by Shevchenko and landed multiple knees to the head while pursuing “Bullet.” Shevchenko immediately protested the knees, claiming that they were illegal since one of her hands was on the mat. To shed light on the specifics of the “knees to the head of a grounded opponent” rule, Shevchenko discussed the incident with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
According to a Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) official, one hand on the ground is indeed enough to consider the opponent grounded. However, the rules stipulate that the hand must either be flat on the ground or weight-bearing – a condition that did not apply to Shevchenko. The NSAC reviewed the footage of the incident and determined that all of Grasso’s knees hit legally.
NSAC’s Determination
Helwani shared the NSAC’s explanation in a video on social media, saying, “I did speak to the Nevada State Athletic Commission and an official there told me that it is one hand, so she’s [Shevchenko] correct about that. The hand has to be either flat on the mat or weight bearing. And they also told me that in between rounds, they checked the replay…They checked it multiple times and they determined that all the knees hit legally because the hand wasn’t flat, and/or weight bearing, and/or even at times on the mat when they were landing. So their determination is, those were not illegal knees.”
Despite Shevchenko’s protests, the NSAC’s determination confirms that Grasso’s knees during the match were legal. This clarification of the rules helps to address the controversy surrounding the UFC Noche main event, though the split draw result remains a point of contention for both fighters.