Valentina Shevchenko’s dominant flyweight title run, including seven defenses, came to an end with a huge upset loss against Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 earlier this year. “Bullet” looked to rebuild her legacy by regaining her title in their rematch in the Noche UFC main event this past Saturday.
However, Grasso would retain her title as the fight ended in a controversial split draw after five rounds. While many observers argue that Shevchenko won the bout, nobody can overlook the 10-8 scorecard for the fifth round, which was doled out by judge Mike Bell in favor of Grasso.
Shevchenko Demands an Explanation
Although Grasso took Shevchenko’s back in the final 90 seconds of the round, “Bullet” had dominated the rest of it with her accurate jab. While Shevchenko still demands an explanation from Bell, she believes the judge will bear the brunt of this controversial scorecard more than her.
Legacy Unaffected by Split Draw
The former flyweight champ is also proud of her showing at Noche UFC and expects her legacy to be unaffected by the split draw. “The whole world, 20,000 people who were watching the fight live in T-Mobile Arena, they saw the result,” Shevchenko said on “The MMA Hour.”
“They know the truth and the truth is here. It doesn’t matter what people try to make up after that, how they score or what they do, the truth is there… But the truth is here, that’s why it’s not affecting my legacy.”