Valentina Shevchenko didn’t maintain receipts, however she was undoubtedly shocked to see what number of skilled fighters picked in opposition to her within the trilogy with Alexa Grasso at UFC 306.
Whereas she was profitable the vast majority of their first struggle till getting caught with a submission late within the fourth spherical after which by all accounts deserving of a win within the rematch if not for some controversial scoring from the judges, Shevchenko in some way felt like she was being underrated forward of the third struggle.
That’s why she felt the necessity to put the nail within the coffin when it got here to her rivalry with Grasso and what resulted was a one-sided struggle from begin to end.
“Surprisingly for me, many UFC fighters, many professional fighters once they had their picks earlier than our third struggle they mentioned ‘Grasso … oh Grasso.’ It was form of one-sided,” Shevchenko instructed MMA Preventing.
“It was just a little bit stunning for me that I might take it from individuals who don’t know a lot about martial arts and so they simply wish to see silly within the hanging, like [finding out] who has a stronger chin, a stronger head and it doesn’t contain an excessive amount of method, an excessive amount of fighter IQ, an excessive amount of of the character of the fighter. I might take it from these individuals however when professional fighters say that, it was like, oh my God. There’s one thing improper with this world. That’s one more reason I needed to present domination. I needed to present I’m superior in each subject.”
A giant a part of the issue that Shevchenko recognized was the best way her trilogy with Grasso was promoted with the vast majority of the eye being paid to her opponent.
Shevchenko understood that UFC 306 was billed as a “love letter to Mexico” with the cardboard constructed round celebrating Mexican Independence Day. Grasso was additionally the one Mexican champion competing on the occasion, so shining a brighter highlight on her made sense.
That mentioned, Shevchenko didn’t respect she was in some way forgotten when it got here to the highlights from their earlier two fights.
“When continuously, over the yr, they’re displaying the very best moments of 1 fighter and it doesn’t present something from the opposite fighter, however the individuals they don’t watch the complete struggle,” Shevchenko lamented. “They simply see these small clips and so they simply hear it repeated and repeated. It’s form of like that is how propaganda works. It’s form of like [hard] to take care of.
“I knew, for instance what had occurred within the second struggle, for instance there’s a mixture, 10 profitable hits from my aspect and one hit from her aspect. The media to advertise the brand new champion, to have a good time every part, they do away with all of my profitable mixtures and simply give attention to this one good mixture from her. They repeat this time and again. Individuals who didn’t watch the struggle, and it’s unhappy, they don’t watch the struggle — they simply hear and see all these replays and so they begin to consider that it’s true.”
To counter that promotional push for Grasso main into UFC 306, Shevchenko took it upon herself to depart no doubts this time round.
She out-struck Grasso on the toes, took her down eight instances and racked up over 16 minutes of management time on the canvas. It was a clear sweep with unanimous 50-45 scorecards throughout the board as Shevchenko defeated Grasso and reclaimed her UFC flyweight title.
“I knew going into this struggle, I can not let this occur once more,” Shevchenko mentioned. “I didn’t have one other selection. Don’t let her have these profitable mixtures, not even one. That’s why I used to be quicker within the hanging, she couldn’t reply to my hanging and I wish to present my abilities on the bottom recreation as a result of listening to all individuals say ‘Valentina you’re a striker, you’re going to be all hanging, you don’t have wrestling.’ I don’t know why however they thought she might out-wrestle me. Yeah undoubtedly it’s due to a fortunate submission within the first struggle once I misplaced my belt and everybody thought, ‘You’re only a striker you don’t have a floor recreation.’ However I’m a martial artist. I’m an MMA fighter. I’m a whole fighter. I’ve to indicate that you simply neglect, that is my floor recreation.
“It was no selection for me. They didn’t depart me one other one. Simply to utterly destroy the sport plan of Alexa and present that she can not do something, not within the hanging, not within the wrestling, not within the grappling.”
With Grasso overwhelmed and the UFC title again round her waist, Shevchenko is comfortable to place the previous behind her, which is why she’s not calling out anyone by identify when it got here to the fighters who picked in opposition to her.
She’s comfortable to let bygones be bygones, though simply know, Shevchenko is at all times watching.
“While you win the struggle, you’re already handed it. You by no means look again,” Shevchenko mentioned. “Each time I attempt to see the very best in individuals, the great in individuals as a result of I believe that is essential.
“Everybody could make errors. When you don’t have an opportunity to right these errors for the individuals, how will it work? It by no means will work. That’s why there’s no belief for one another. I give individuals a second probability.”
