Media Grasso: "It wasn't a fluke. It's going to be important to show everyone I'm the champion"

[Adamant__]

Lol at people saying it was a fluke. Grasso clearly won the first round and it was about to be 2-2 going into the 5th round. Grasso turned the "best WMMA striker" into a panic wrestler and choked the life out of her.

Grasso bless

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

Lol at people saying it was a fluke. Grasso clearly won the first round and it was about to be 2-2 going into the 5th round. Grasso turned the "best WMMA striker" into a panic wrestler and choked the life out of her.

Grasso bless

Of course it wasn't a fluke. She drilled that back take off of a missed spinning kick, and took the most of it when the opportunity arose.

It's like like Valentina was whooping her ass when she tore her knee

 

[fortheo]

Grasso is seems like a very good, wholesome person. It's very easy to root for her. She's been steadily improving her game for a while now and i'm really happy that she got the belt.

The adjustments that both fighters need to make are pretty clear: for grasso, she needs to be more prepared for the reactive double leg takedowns from val and maybe even mix in more offensive wrestling of her own and try to get on top.

For val, she needs to come more prepared for the possibility of grasso being in southpaw OR orthodox stance, and she needs to stop the spinning shit, and probably attack the legs more.

 

[Laheys'Liquorland]

Kinda wish Grasso didn't want the rematch.
Let her defend against a new match-up and have Valentina fight a number 1 contender match.
These rematches always feel like a "do-over".

 

[BigDramaShow26]

Grasso definitely has everything to gain just like Leon did, while Shev will just have to stop throwing spinning shit.

 

[surgeyou1]

I think Valentina is slowing down. Probably going to look a lot like the 3rd Leon Usman fight. Just doesn't have that championship spark anymore.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Val looked old in there. 35 is old for a woman specially a woman who fights for a living. She was looking slow and old, getting boxed up and countered a ton. She was up on the cards but hardly dominating.

 

[Neck&Neck]

 

[SuspectChin]

Seeing as how Santos nearly submitted Shev in a similar fashion, I concur.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

I've been cheering for Grasso since day 1. Yes she has improved, and yes Grasso probably did repeatedly drill counters to Shev most common attacks. There's really no denying that. But at the same time Shev does not appear to be the same person she was years prior. We saw that in her last fight and this was just more of it.

Grasso didn't just win by luck and Shev best days might be behind her

 

[Migdagen]

Anyone saying it was a fluke needs to have his brain scanned. It might be a sign of a new tumor.

 

[Askafan]

It was a well planned hit job.

 

[Swarthy]

Val is a shadow of her old self speed wise. Grasso looked great and game planned great. I don’t want to see a re-match I want to see Grasso defend vs someone else and Val fight a few retirement bouts.

 

[Gamer2k4]

Grasso turned the "best WMMA striker" into a panic wrestler and choked the life out of her.

This is such a stupid take, and it's even stupider how many people parrot it mindlessly. "Panic wrestling" is when you get hit with a hard strike and you immediately shoot in a desperate attempt to not get KOed by followup shots. Changing your game plan when you realize your current one isn't working isn't the same thing at all. (And never mind the fact that all of Shevchenko's finishes besides the Eye KO came on the ground - her goal in all of her fights is to take the action to the ground, and this one was no different.)

 

[Yep]

I like the attitude

 

[TheAmericanGazelle]

It was absolutely not a fluke, and she was pretty close to being 50/50ish in the fight up until the back take and finish.

That said, the ending sequence was a low-probability event. It's not something that can be banked on happening again at all.

I hate automatic rematches after finishes, but at least this one has the potential to remove any doubt and launch her shine a more permanent manner. And I hope that happens.

 

[Askafan]

I can see Val coming back with a very cautious strategy and then throwing a wobbly when she doesn't get the decision. She'll have to remember she's the challenger not the champ.

 

[HHJ]

I think Val had figured Grasso out midway and was doing better in the fight,but it wasnt a fluke. Grasso made the most of a mistake on Val's part and took it. Also Grasso fought excellently the whole fight.

Still...Its like calling Wonderboy vs Pettis a fluke. No,Pettis saw an oppurtunity,took it and won.

 

[Flower2dPeople]

That said, the ending sequence was a low-probability event. It's not something that can be banked on happening again at all.

Agree. Shev will be smart enough to not throw spinning shit in the later rds where she is evidently slowing down and with Grasso stopping her takedowns.

Grasso by tko.

 

[Brother Numsi]

Based on how the first fight went, no reason to believe Grasso can win again against Val.

Valentina is still a top contender and has a good shot at winning the rematch but it does look like she is slowing down some. It happens to the best fighters

Grasso is young and still getting better. Val might have hit her peak