Long-time flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has spoken out for the first time since losing the belt to Alexa Grasso UFC 285 this past past weekend after being submitted in the fourth round.
“Thank you everyone for the support!” Shevchenko wrote on Instagram. “Truly appreciate all of you ! ❤️ In good and bad thank you for being with me 👊 Difficult times built strong people 👊
“Martial Arts is my LIFE and I will be back for immediate rematch stronger than ever 👊
“Fight doesn’t forgive any mistake! Especially it feels frustrating when you was dominating all the fight.
“No excuses , only hard work ! Ready to start all over 👊
“Love you all ❤️”
An immediate rematch feels almost certain given the 35-year-old Shevchenko’s dominant run as champion, which saw her make seven successful defenses of the title, and indeed the new champion Grasso has already signalled her willingness to face her again.
“I told you I’d finish the fight,” Grasso told AGFight. “I had pictured it many times in my head. I only wanted to walk out of there as the champion. She changed her strategy in the second round. She took me down and I wasn’t doing great for a while there. But I kept thinking I was going to get out of it. I drilled that position a lot.
“The immediate rematch makes sense. She was a dominant champion. We can fight again.”
