The bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso ended in the most unexpected way. The two fierce fighters locked horns for an immediate rematch at UFC Fight Night 227. After a back-and-forth battle, the bout ended in a split draw. The outcome helped Grasso retain her flyweight belt, which she won after defeating Shevchenko in their first outing.

Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso came face-to-face for the first time at UFC 285. The outcome of the bout shocked many, as Grasso won the bout against Shevchenko through submission in the fourth round. Considering the past performances of ‘Bullet’, many believed that the Mexican did not stand a chance against her. To find out who was the best among the two flyweights, the UFC scheduled an immediate rematch, which ended in a draw. Soon after the bout, the former UFC flyweight champion revealed why she was not able to outperform Grasso.

Valentina Shevchenko found it hard to continue

MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter took to X and uploaded a video of him interviewing Shevchenko at backstage at Noche UFC. During the interview, Shevchenko revealed that she suffered an injury in the first round of the bout. She said, “I did everything; it doesn’t matter. I broke my finger in the first round, my thumb, and now it’s like I cannot move it, and I felt it through a whole  round.“Shevchenko detailed that she broke her thumb and was suffering from immense pain from the very first round of the bout.

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She further added, “I felt like if I stop the fight. I cannot continue then all fans gonna be will be frustrated a little bit because they want to watch the fight. This fight should continue.” After she fractured her thumb, she was confused about whether to continue the bout or not. However, as a true fighter, she chose to keep going so that the fight fans wouldn’t be disappointed. According to her, this is one of the reasons that led Grasso to retain her belt in their rematch.

Conor McGregor praises the two fierce fighters

The bout between Shevchenko and Grasso was such a close affair that even the judges failed to find a winner between the two. Their fight had all the ingredients needed to take MMA fans to the edge of their seats. The fans were not so disappointed when the bout ended in a split draw, as both fighters were equally powerful and landed some brilliant strikes on their opponent. In the second round, the Mexican dropped ‘bullet.’ When the bout reached the third round, Shevchenko trapped Grasso in a guillotine choke; however, the latter managed to escape it, and in the last round, the Mexican fighter threw some power punches at the 35-year-old.

READ MORE: 5 Months After Losing Her Title, Valentina Shevchenko Lays Bare Her Emotions Ahead of Alexa Grasso Rematch

Their exceptional performance prompted UFC superstar Conor McGregor to praise both Shevchenko and Grasso. He took to X and wrote, “An absolute corker of a fight, All timer in WMMA imo. And it ends in a draw! Wow wow, wow! Well done @AlexaGrasso and @BulletValentina! Incredible!” It was clear that the bout between the two was a visual treat for the Irishman. McGregor is usually notorious for trash-talking about fighters. However, it seems that the bout between the great fighters impressed him like never before. What are your thoughts about the bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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