Dana White feels Alexa Grasso is ready to take on Valentina Shevchenko
UFC 285's co-main event will feature a women's flyweight showdown between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso. Shevchenko has seven successful title defenses under her belt and holds an imperious record coming into the fight.
However, UFC president Dana White believes the timing couldn't be better for her Mexican challenger, Alexa Grasso. In a media interview ahead of UFC 285, White spoke about Grasso's improved skillset and also highlighted Shevchenko's close contest in her last outing in the octagon.
He said:
“Yeah, I mean her [Grasso] game has absolutely escalated over the last couple of years. Her stand-up, her cardio, her ground game. I mean, she looks like a completely different fighter. If she is ready, she is ready now. You know, you don’t know if anybody is ready for Valentina, although she looked human in her last fight so it’s going to be interesting.”
White referenced Shevchenko's matchup against Taila Santos at UFC 275 where the bout went the distance and was ultimately decided via split decision.
Before that, the last time 'Bullet' encountered a split decision was in her last loss in 2017. This was prior to her return to the flyweight division and her incredible nine-fight winning streak.
Check out Dana White's full comments on YouTube:
Henry Cejudo believes Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso will go the distance
Former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo weighed in on the upcoming women's flyweight championship bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso.
Cejudo spoke about the matchup being an even contest and going the distance. He pointed to Grasso's strength and how it could counter Valentina Shevchenko's defensive approach.
“I will say this: This fight will go the distance. The toughest matchup that Valentina’s going to have is against a girl like Alexa Grasso. Alexa Grasso has power in her hands. If Valentina decides to sit there and go blow-for-blow with Alexa Grasso, Alexa Grasso could potentially put her out.”
'Triple C' also mentioned a peculiarity in Grasso's fighting style that has gone under the radar and could potentially be exploited.
“There’s one thing that Alexa Grasso does have that not a lot of people have capitalized (on), is her stance. She’s very, very wide in her stance, and I do believe that if Valentina plays her game right tactically, there’s going to be a lot of leg kicks.”
Check out Henry Cejudo's complete breakdown of the UFC 285 main card: