Valentina Shevchenko reveals plans to undergo surgery, following controversial draw
Kyrgyzstani and Peruvian professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter, Valentina Shevchenko, said her hand would undergo surgery after it was fractured in the first round of her contest with Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC.
The wound affected her throughout the match, but she continued to land blows on her opponent, to the point that many rated her as the winner at the end of the match. However, the judges scored the fight a split draw (48-47, 47-48, 47-47).
Both fans and high-profile pundits have attacked this decision, with UFC CEO Dana White calling the fight the craziest thing he had ever seen. Soon after the match, Valentina Shevchenko’s sister posted a long message on Instagram to congratulate her sister on her performance and to console her for the victory that was denied her from the judges’ corner. It would be safe to say that most still think Valentina Shevchenko won that competition.
Alexa Grasso is the first to beat Valentina Shevchenko since that later’s loss in 2017 to Nunes. This loss cost Shevchenko her flyweight title and will now necessitate a trilogy after a rematch ended in a controversial draw.
Valentina Shevchenko, who is also a great dancer displayed good sportsmanship as she revealed what presently lies in front of her. She might wait for a long time for her hand to heal.
‘My understanding is like two or six weeks, something like that, in a cast, but I still can do exercise and maintain my shape just no hand. After that, it’s going to be recovery and as I’m told, three or four months in full action, so it doesn’t sound that scary.’
Shevchenko said Alexa Grasso could go on competing with other fighters till her return.
‘My understanding that no matter what happens, my next fight is going to be for the title, definitely. It’s what it has to be and what it should be. But if something happens and (my recovery) is longer, I don’t want to hold the division. I don’t want to say, ‘No, you have to wait for me.’ If I were in that position, it would be backwards.
I wouldn’t want to feel that. I wouldn’t want to stay and sit when I could fight, and I could use my time as a fighter. We as fighters could have a long time or a short time in fighting life. Me being on the other side, I wouldn’t want to be in that situation. That’s why I don’t want her to feel in the position that she can move, but she has to stay and sit and do nothing. Let’s hope I heal up very quickly, and we do the trilogy fight next.’
The fight is likely to take place next year.