LAS VEGAS (AP) — Valentina Shevchenko’s incredible championship run came to an end at 4:34 of the fourth round on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 285 when she tapped to a back exposed gag by Alexa Grasso.
Shevchenko attempted a back kick spin. Grasso anticipated it, avoided it, and then jumped on Shevchenko’s back. Grasso quickly applied the choke, and Shevchenko submitted.
It completed her nine-battle winning streak as well as her title-winning streak of eight battles.
Shevchenko’s grappling was controlling the fight, but she didn’t appear to be as dominant as she had been during her reign.
Grasso held her ground well and appeared ready for whatever Shevchenko threw at her. She practised defending against the choke repeatedly, and it paid off.
“I practised it all the time,” Grasso said of protecting Shevchenko’s turning back kick. She should play out the turning kick, I was expecting her to say. Every day, I worked so hard on it.”
It will be remembered as one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. Shevchenko was ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings and was considering a third fight with pound-for-pound champion Amanda Nunes.
That was all contingent on a victory, which she did not achieve. It was her first defeat since losing to Nunes at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on September 9, 2017.
She’d won nine consecutive fights since then, including eight title fights.
Grasso’s fifth consecutive victory.
On March 2, 2019, Jon Jones (red gloves) and Anthony Smith (blue gloves) compete in UFC 235 at T-Portable Field. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo is required credit.
(Reuters) – LAS VEGAS, March 4 (Reuters) – Jon Jones won the vacant UFC heavyweight title with a spectacular first-round submission win over top-ranked Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on Saturday, after a determined re-visitation of the octagon, re-having a special interest in being the best warrior ever.
Jones, who last fought in 2020, climbed a division for his heavyweight debut against Gane and took less than three minutes to become the eighth fighter in UFC history. to hold titles in two weight classes.
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