“You Need to Allow the Rest of the People” – After Split Draw and Valentina Shevchenko’s Failure to Beat Alexa Grasso, Veteran Official Casts Doubts on Ex-UFC Champ’s Title Hopes

In a surprising turn of events, Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso‘s fight at UFC Noche concluded unexpectedly. These two powerful fighters faced each other for the second time after their mind-blowing first encounter. The bout at UFC Fight Night 227 saw both sides give their all, which concluded in a split draw. This result allowed the Mexican fighter to hold on to her flyweight title, which she initially secured by locking horns against ‘Bullet’ in their first match-up. At UFC 285, Shevchenko and Grasso squared off in a bout that left many shocked.

Against predictions, the Mexican fighter achieved a victory against Shevchenko by submitting her in the fourth round. During their first bout, many believed that Grasso would terribly fail to outdo Shevchenko, as she was considered the best in the division. However, to truly determine the best female flyweight, the promotion arranged a rematch. Recently, UFC official John McCarthy discussed the second outing of the two flyweights. He also gave an answer to whether Shevchenko deserved a trilogy bout against Grasso or not.

A trilogy bout for Valentina Shevchenko?

UFC official John McCarthy sat down with former UFC fighter Josh Thomson to discuss UFC Fight Night 227 in the ‘Weighing In’ podcast. During the chat, John McCarthy claimed that ‘Bullet’ does not deserve a trilogy bout against Grasso as she already received two chances. He said, “No, absolutely not. You got two in a row now it’s close. It is a draw. You gotta let other blood come in there and have a shot at that title. You can always bring Valentina back, but you need to allow the rest of the people.“

He further added, “It was a draw but I gotta let somebody else have a shot at that title. I got to bring some new life new blood into it. I’m gonna put somebody else up against Grasso.” McCarthy believed that only top fighters should be allowed to fight for the title. According to him, Shevchenko didn’t use the opportunities she received to continue as the flyweight champion. He also pointed out how Shevchenko lost the first bout against Grasso via submission, and the second time she failed to outperform the Mexican fighter in the rematch.

‘Bullet’ faced a severe injury

 Valentina Shevchenko feels that she did all that she could to win against Grasso at Noche UFC. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and she ended up not winning back the flyweight belt. Soon after the bout, ‘Bullet’ revealed that she failed to perform well because of an injury she faced in the first round of the bout.

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

 The 35-year-old fractured her thumb and was in immense pain. She even doubted whether to continue the bout or not. Nonetheless, she soon made up her mind to continue the fight, as she very well knew that the fight fans were eagerly waiting for the bout between her and Grasso. What are your thoughts about the bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso? Do you think that ‘Bullet’ deserves another title shot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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