Valentina Shevchenko will need to undergo surgery for the hand injury she sustained in the opening round of her championship rematch with Alexa Grasso on Saturday night. The former flyweight queen disclosed on social media that she has a “communited fracture that requires surgery.” According to MMAFighting.com, Shevchenko will be able to resume contact in approximately three months.
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Revealing the Injury
Shevchenko posted on Twitter: “Yesterday got the results on my 1st round hand injury. Comminuted fracture that requires surgery 💪💪💪.” At the post-fight press conference following UFC Fight Night 227, Shevchenko speculated that she broke her thumb in the opening stanza. Despite the setback, “Bullet” was effective with her jab and grappling in a back-and-forth affair that ultimately ended in a split draw due to a controversial 10-8 scorecard awarded to Grasso in Round 5.
Decision to Continue Fighting
Shevchenko shared her thoughts on continuing the fight despite her injury, stating: “I broke my thumb in the first round, and it’s fractured. I felt it affect my striking, but at the same time I thought, If I stop, it’s going to be very frustrating for the whole fans for this night because they were waiting for this fight, they wanted to see this fight, and If I stopped in the first round and said, ‘I cannot continue.’ Again, that’s against my personal rules. That’s why I continued to fight with my whole heart. I did everything to secure the victory. But because it’s Mexican Independence Day, it affected the decision of the judges to give a 10-8 in the fifth round.”
With the surgery, Shevchenko will be sidelined for a few months before she can return to contact training. Fans will undoubtedly be eager to see her back in action and continuing her impressive fighting career.