Valentina Shevchenko‘s bout against Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 was a memorable fight for MMA fans for many reasons. Shevchenko was the defending flyweight champion and fans expected her to win the match with ease. However, Grasso had other plans and pulled off an unexpected victory via a face crank submission in the fourth round.

The finish was a shock to the MMA world. Many fans wondered after the fight how Shevchenko would react to the loss. However, what followed was even more surprising. When Shevchenko appeared on The MMA Hour Show with Ariel Helwani, she blamed the referee of the match and suggested that he might have contributed to her loss.

Valentina Shevchenko on Jason Herzog

During the interview, Shevchenko pointed out a few actions that the referee did during the fight that she did not understand. “A few actions that the referee did in the fight, I completely don’t understand why he did that,” she said. She talked about the instance when the referee stopped the fight in her previous match against Taila Santos. This allowed her opponent to breathe even though Shevchenko felt that she had hurt her opponent.

In the match against Grasso, Shevchenko was on top of her opponent and landing big shots when the referee decided to stand them up and continue the striking. Shevchenko suggested that these decisions affected her performance, as they disrupted the flow of the fight and forced her to start building the situation all over again.

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Shevchenko‘s comments created controversy in the MMA community. Some fans agreed with her, while others thought that she was making excuses for her loss. Here are some of the fan reactions –

Some fans stood with Valentina Shevchenko.

And many others blamed the referee for his actions.

Many even believed Shevchenko to be the better fighter.

However, some backed the referee.

One even suggested that Shevchenko change her game plan!

Some thought Shevchenko was not making excuses.

While some thought she was!

Thus, several opinions came pouring in.

Valentina Shevchenko’s title reign

Despite the controversy, there is no denying that Shevchenko has been an exceptional champion during her reign as the flyweight title holder. She has defended her title successfully 7 times over the course of 4 years. Her performances have been nothing short of dominant. Her skills as a striker and grappler are unparalleled. She is considered one of the best female fighters in MMA’s history.

Fans did not expect Valentina Shevchenko to lose against Alexa Grasso at UFC 285. Now, her comments about the referee’s decisions created controversy in the MMA world. While some fans agree with her, others believe that she should take responsibility for her defeat.

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