“Now Everybody Has to Do a Little More Work”: Daniel Cormier Details How Valentina Shevchenko Losing Her Title Against Alexa Grasso “Refreshes” the Women’s Flyweight Division

Alexa Grasso shocked the world when she beat Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 for the UFC women’s flyweight title. The 29-year-old had the upper hand for most of the fight against the former champion and submitted her in the fourth round. Shevchenko was reigning unchecked atop the 125 lbs division before Grasso gave her a rude awakening. This win may have significantly changed the landscape of the division, according to UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier.

In a recent segment of DC&RC, Daniel Cormier analyzed that Grasso’s win meant for the flyweight division. The former double champion was speaking in light of Maycee Barber‘s statement win over Amanda Ribas at UFC Jacksonville this past weekend. Barber is now on a five-fight win streak after a TKO victory on Saturday, but ‘The Future’ will have to wait for a title shot, courtesy of Grasso’s win.

How did Alexa Grasso shake up the women’s flyweight division?

According to Cormier, Alexa Grasso beating Valentina Shevchenko has put the other flyweight contenders in a bit of a spot. When ‘Bullet’ was the champion, she was tearing through the division. A lack of contenders meant lower-ranked fighters did not have to do much to get to the title. Now, that situation has changed.

Cormier said, “There was a time at 125 that all you had to do was win a couple of fights in a row, right? That’s how Jessica Eye got a title fight against [Valentina] Shevchenko. That’s how Lauren Murphy got her title fight. They just won a few fights in a row because Valentina [Shevchenko] had beaten everybody.”

He continued, “The new champion, Alexa Grasso, being at the top, it kind of refreshes the division because Valentina cuts the line and now everybody has to do a little more work to get there.”

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Cormier’s argument holds merit if you consider the fact that Grasso got her title shot on the back of a four-fight win streak. Maycee Barber, with a five-fight win streak, has to wait longer for a crack at the champion.

What does Grasso’s reign mean for Maycee Barber?

Speaking of Barber’s situation, ‘DC’ said, “Because Maycee Barber’s now won five in a row. If you had won five in a row before, you might be in contention for a championship opportunity. But because the champ Alexa Grasso was able to pull that major upset, it changes everything.”

Grasso’s upset win at UFC 285 has opened several new possibilities. Shevchenko will receive her immediate rematch against Grasso on September 16 in Las Vegas. If ‘Bullet’ regains her throne, it could open the door to a potential trilogy between the pair.

If Grasso successfully defends the title, she has more ranked contenders to worry about before Maycee Barber. In addition to that, the Mexican already has a win over Barber from their meeting in February 2021. None of these factors work in Barber’s favor.

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Hence, Cormier is not wrong in his claim that Barber and other lower-ranked flyweights will have to work more for a title shot now that Grasso has become the champion. Do you think this will make the division more fun to watch? Let us know in the comments.