Mick Maynard's Shoes: What's next for Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko after Noche UFC draw?
Alexa Grasso left Noche UFC on Saturday as the women’s flyweight champion, but that’s not because she proved superior to Valentina Shevchenko.
Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) retained the title by default after her rematch with Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ended in a split draw. It was a close fight, with both athletes expressing afterward that they felt like the rightful winner.
After Grasso claimed the 125-pound strap with a massive submission upset at UFC 285 in March, the rematch was set up to see if the result was an anomaly, or if Shevchenko could resume her run of dominance over the division. Neither thing happened, and now there’s uncertainty going forward.
A trilogy between Grasso and Shevchenko is on the table after Noche UFC, but there’s plenty of other options, too, such as Erin Blanchfield or Manon Fiorot getting a well-deserved crack at gold.
What should be next? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Grasso and Shevchenko’s future after their Noche UFC title-fight draw.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC.