Daniel Cormier brings up Chris Weidman as he highlights "biggest mistake" Valentina Shevchenko did in her loss to Alexa Grasso
Daniel Cormier sees similarities between Alexa Grasso’s win against Valentina Shevchenko and Luke Rockhold’s win against Chris Weidman in 2015.
The UFC women’s flyweight division was turned upside down last night when Grasso submitted ‘Bullet’ to become the new champion. Although the Mexican-born fighter deserves most of the credit for seizing an opportunity, Cormier believes Shevchenko made a massive mistake, which lost her the fight. ‘DC’ had this to say during a video on his YouTube channel:
“I never thought I would see Valentina Shevchenko making consistent mistakes. She made mistakes in the last fight against Taila [Santos], trying to score takedowns and rushing them, and she made mistakes tonight. Ultimately, the biggest mistake was trying that spinning back kick from in close.”
Cormier continued by comparing Shevchenko’s mistake to Weidman's:
“The last person I remember doing that was Chris Weidman trying an ill-advised spin kick against Luke Rockhold, got himself taken down, and beaten up, which ultimately led to Luke becoming the champion, same thing tonight. When Grasso saw that spinning kick, which she said she trained for, she jumped on her back like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and she went crazy trying to chase the finish.”
At UFC 194, Weidman’s undefeated MMA record and UFC middleweight championship were taken away when Rockhold secured a fourth-round finish by ground and pound. Similar to Shevchenko, both champions were nearly unbeatable until a crucial mistake led to a significant loss.
Watch Daniel Cormier compare Alexa Grasso's win to Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold below:
What’s next for Alexa Grasso?
Alexa Grasso became the first Mexican-born women’s UFC champion after defeating Valentina Shevchenko. Before moving on to another opponent, Grasso will likely have to take out Shevchenko once again. During her post-fight Octagon interview, ‘Bullet’ made it clear she wants an immediate rematch, and the new champion later agreed in her media interview.
If the UFC 285 co-main event results in an immediate rematch, there will be some intriguing fights to make in the women’s flyweight division. Erin Blanchfield, Taila Santos, and Manon Fiorot seem to be one win away from a title shot, but who will be the odd woman out of a number-one contender matchup? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Grasso has solidified her legacy by defeating Shevchenko.