Valentina Shevchenko reveals she’s set to undergo surgery for injury sustained during Alexa Grasso fight

By Cole Shelton - September 19, 2023

Valentina Shevchenko will be going under the knife.

Valentina Shevchenko

Shevchenko took to X on Tuesday evening to reveal she fractured her hand during the first round of her Noche UFC fight against Alexa Grasso. The injury will require surgery, and according to Damon Martin, it will take three months before she can use it for contact again.

“Yesterday got the results on my 1 st round hand injury. Comminuted fracture that requires surgery,” Shevchenko wrote.

With Shevchenko needing three months completely off, it’s uncertain when she would be ready to fight, as she would need to get back into camp. However, it is impressive that she was able to go four more rounds with the injury, and fought Grasso to a controversial draw.

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Had one judge not scored the fifth round a 10-8 for Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko would be the UFC flyweight champion. That scorecard has been under scrutiny from many people, including Shevchenko who feels like she was robbed.

“I’m very proud of the work I did inside the octagon,” Valentina Shevchenko stated recapping her draw with Alexa Grasso on Saturday. “I know [I won] three rounds for certain in that fight, it was my rounds, I won those rounds. From other side, I was [thinking] a few things in the fight were completely unfair. Yes, definitely the scorecards in the final round, 10-8, Mike Bell he did something that was inexplicable things. I think the whole world would love to hear the explanation. But, from the other side, it’s not me. He’s going to live with that mistake forever.”

With her rematch against Alexa Grasso being a draw, Valentina Shevchenko is now 23-4-1 as a pro. The hope for Shevchenko was to have the third fight with Grasso, but with her having to have surgery, it’s uncertain if that will be next. But, perhaps Grasso takes a fight in the meantime, and when Shevchenko is ready to return, she will get a flyweight title fight.


Topics:

Alexa Grasso UFC Valentina Shevchenko