Nothing lasts forever in the UFC. Alexa Grasso made sure of that, taking the belt from Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko in UFC 285 with a stunning submission late in the fourth round. Grasso got a rear naked chokehold on Valentina after a badly timed spinning backhand and it turned out to be the fatal mistake. At the outset of the fight we watched Shevchenko methodically work her game, landing jabs in between the guards of Grasso, as well as taking Alexa to the mat rather easily. Valentina was doing her normal thing, timing her opponent and taking advantage of mistakes and openings shown by Grasso. That was round one and two.
Frustration Sets In
When we get to round three, it seems that Grasso has been the one looking for the tell-tale signs from Shevchenko. The take down attempts were being denied leaving this fight on the feet. Grasso has great boxing skills and Valentina was having a tough time putting her away. Some of the exchanges between the fighters showed Grasso not being fazed much by the Shevchenko punches. Now Alexa was taking the ground game away from Valentina.
The fourth round began as much the same. Then, a frustrated Shevchenko made the biggest mistake of her championship career. She attempting that spinning backhand that whiffed and Grasso jumped right on her back. The poor execution of the wild punch and the ring location, allowed Alexa to secure the lock under Valentina’s neck. With less than a minute to go in the round the champ would tap out. The flyweight crown goes to Alexa Grasso, who is on a great win streak, shaking up the division and proving that nothing last forever.
Thank you for reading my Alexa Grasso UFC article. Our UFC page is your premier destination for all things MMA. Head to my Pete’s Sports UFC Page and follow me on Twitter. For UFC and all other sports articles check out Pete Sports. Editing and Illustrations: Peter Maiorano & Dominick Maiorano. Featured image credit MMA Junkie – USA Today
GRASSO SQUEEZES HER WAY TO THE UFC STRAP https://t.co/8Rr2iuJbSW #UFC #UFC285 @AlexaGrasso @danawhite
— hoosierpete (@peter_maiorano) March 5, 2023
