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Valentina Shevchenko & Alexa Grasso Settle Rivalry at UFC 306

Originally posted on MMA on SI  |  By Drew Beaupre  |  Last updated Sep 15, 2024 1:11 AM ET

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko made promotional history when the pair met in a trilogy bout at UFC 306.

Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3

The two women first met in the co-main event of UFC 285 in March of last year, and that meeting saw Grasso beat the odds and stun Shevchenko when she claimed the women's flyweight title via fourth-round submission.

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An immediate rematch at the first Noche UFC event last September ended in split draw, and after appearing as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 32 their trilogy bout was booked to co-headline the second Noche UFC event at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Grasso closed as a slight favorite at UFC 306 after entering the cage as an underdog in their previous two meetings, but the champion ended up stuck on her back for the majority of the first two rounds and found little success outside of a few brief submission attempts.

The third frame saw the two women exchange on the feet more before Shevchenko completed another takedown, but in the fourth round things escalated when Grasso locked up a dangerous guillotine attempt that "Bullet" eventually forced her way out of.

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Despite coming out more aggressive in the final frame Grasso was still largely outworked by the challenger during the last five minutes, and it was Shevchenko that left the Octagon with the flyweight belt after earning a clear unanimous decision.

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This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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