"I feel that little disrespect" - Alexa Grasso feels 'contender' Valentina Shevchenko does not have the gameplan to win back title
Alexa Grasso recently weighed in on her upcoming title rematch against Valentina Shevchenko, dismissing the former women's flyweight champion's claims that her previous loss was due to one bad mistake.
Grasso last faced Shevchenko in a flyweight title fight at UFC 285 back in March. With seven successful title defenses on her record, 'Bullet' was expected to beat her Mexican challenger and continue her incredible title run with an eighth defense.
While Valentina Shevchenko was up on the judges' scorecards for three rounds, she threw a poorly timed spinning back kick that Alexa Grasso countered with a takedown. Capitalizing on Shevchenko's mistake, Grasso secured a fourth-round submission to take home the women's flyweight title.
In the aftermath, 'Bullet' insisted that she lost the fight because of the solitary mistake. However, Alexa Grasso disagrees and recently claimed that there are no mishaps at their level of MMA.
During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Grasso was asked for her thoughts on Shevchenko's claims, to which she replied:
"At this level, I think there are no surprises. There are no accidents. You know exactly what you're doing. I did with my coaches a lot of game plans to win the fight, and that was one of those... I feel that little disrespect, you know, for me and my team."
Catch Grasso's comments below (1:20):
Erin Blanchfield on Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC
Fast-rising women's flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield recently weighed in on the upcoming Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko title rematch. While 'Cold Blooded' couldn't definitively predict the outcome, she believes Grasso could beat Shevchenko again.
As mentioned, had Grasso not found the opening to secure a finish in the fourth round, Shevchenko was on her way to securing her eighth title defense on the judges' scorecards at UFC 285 in March. However, the reigning flyweight queen has disputed the notion that 'Bullet' was outpointing her and claimed that her victory was due to a successfully executed game plan.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Erin Blachfield outlined how Alexa Grasso could use her experience fighting Valentina Shevchenko and make necessary adjustments to her game plans. Speculating another victory for Grasso, she said:
"I feel like she [Grasso] definitely could win. I think she’s a great game-planner... With that experience fighting Valentina, I feel like she’ll make some adjustments. I could definitely see her coming in with some new adjustments and stealing some rounds from Valentina."
Erin Blanchfield is expected to challenge the winner of Grasso vs. Shevchenko for the flyweight title next.