Alexa Grasso produced a stunning upset against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285, despite struggling in the early rounds of the fight.
The Mexican star took advantage of a botched spinning back-kick from her opponent in the fourth round, submitting Shevchenko with a rear-naked choke.
Grasso’s victory gave her the UFC women’s flyweight title and the status of only the second fighter after Amanda Nunes to defeat Shevchenko.
Even her fellow UFC fighters were surprised by the result, but it turns out that Grasso’s win was not just a lucky occurrence.
The 29-year-old has shared some insight into how she prepared for her encounter against Shevchenko, proving that her victory was down to hard work and skill.
Alexa Grasso reveals how she defeated Valentina Shevchenko
Grasso shared a video on her Instagram account of her training session for the fight against Shevchenko.
She is shown pulling off the exact move which led to her opponent’s submission, demonstrating that she had trained to overcome Shevchenko’s spinning back-kick.
“The back take after the spinning kick was trained for MONTHS,” Grasso wrote.
The moment Shevchenko tapped out at UFC 285 is almost identical to the training session – Grasso’s months of hard work truly paid off.
Video: Watch Alexa Grasso’s training session before beating Valentina Shevchenko
What did Alexa Grasso say after her victory?
“I just won the most important fight of my life,” Grasso said. “I did everything I had to do to get my hand raised and I knew I had to finish the fight.
“I was super happy before and I dreamt of this moment every single night for three months. The way I was walking to The Octagon and the way I won the belt.”
While Shevchenko was gracious towards Grasso after the fight, the UFC legend claimed she lost because of a “stupid situation”.
“You’re winning the fight all around, all around, no doubt,” she said. “And a stupid situation can change the whole game. This is the part of the game.
“Congratulations to Alexa, and I know that I’m stronger and if not this spinning kick [it] would be a different result.”
Both Shevchenko and Grasso were open to a rematch, leaving UFC fans excited about another dramatic encounter between the pair.
