Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso are about to make history as they head into a trilogy fight.
The bout will be the first trilogy fight in the promotion’s history and the co-main event of UFC 306. The two had their first bout at UFC 285, but Shevchenko could not regain her championship and lost to Grasso.
In their rematch battle, both rivals fought hard and delivered a round of punches, but the fight ended in a split draw. After the fight, Grasso aired her opinion about Shevckhenko in an interview. She advised Shevchenko on what to do to win their third fight, but Shevchenko believes their last bout was a victory for her despite the scoreboard results.
“Reading between the strokes, it means like, ‘OK, OK, Valentina, If I stay on my side of the octagon and you play your game, I will be safe, and I won’t lose my belt.’ So she’s expecting me to stay on my side and she’s on her side. And we’re gonna do [a] shadowbox, or something like that,” Shevchenko told MMA Fighting. “And she’ll say, ‘OK, I’m a champion, I’m still going to have [the] belt,’ it’s so funny.
“But, speaking seriously, you know why we are speaking about the third fight? It’s only because of the second fight — everyone saw the fight. Everyone knows, everyone was very surprised because of the mistake and error of a judge, what he did and if it [were not for him]. Everyone saw that I was the winner of this fight. I did enough to win the fight, like three rounds from the five. It was enough to win the fight. It’s only the reason why we are speaking about our trilogy.
“Everything [that] I did, it worked, everything, what I did in the second fight, all my strategy, it worked. So I don’t know, maybe she was too much into The Ultimate Fighter coaching and since [then], they’re trying to coach everywhere. But this is fine. This is fine. I think it’s also interesting for the people to hear and see her from other sides, as well.”
Shevchenko found Grasso’s analysis of their fight amusing. She believes she is constantly underrated and will not rise to Grasso’s bait. Shevchenko is currently preparing for her next fight and will put more pressure on her rival than herself.
“It’s interesting, but every time, every training camp, it’s different,” Shevchenko said. “Every fight week is different, and even comparing one of the best fights that I had. Every time was different, like how I felt. But I know for sure that, in terms [of] making [a] statement, make one of the greatest fights, it’s too much pressure on your shoulders. It’s not good, and sometimes it makes you freeze, and you cannot do anything.
“And this time, I just prepare myself the best that I can and my coach Pavel Fedotov, he was working so good with me. Mentally, physically, everything, and you know, the goal for me right now is just to show an amazing fight. One of the greatest fights. Just go there and show myself, show ‘The Bullet,’ what the speed is, what the power is and just like no stop. Just go forward, forward until the end. This is what I have. This is what is my chip right now, what program I have in my head.”
Shevchenko has been competing in combat sports for most of her life, including 28 pro MMA fights–16 of which have occurred in the UFC. The 36-year-old has built a legacy as one of the greatest women’s fighters in promotion history, and many believe she is good enough to beat most fighters. However, they question whether she can defeat the younger champion.
