What happened to Valentina?

[RalphioSpinache]

Switching the stances completely messed up her gameplan. Grasso going unorthodox then going aggressive took away the body kicks that are Val's main weapon.

Grasso clearly had the perfect gameplan to beat Valentina, switch stances and push the pressure. Without the kicks she's got nothing.

 

[Boomb]

Alexa bless.

If she wouldn’t be cross eyed she might have been kinda cute.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

I think you’re in denial, pal. She is BEYOND arrogant. And people like you probably play a large part in that. She doesn’t accept her losses so why should you. It’s just a big circle jerk.

She lost to Taila, and you don’t acknowledge the headbutt that kept Shevchenko in that fight. She broke Taila’s orbital with it.. Remember? Exactly the way you don’t acknowledge the headbutt Pena caught Amanda with causing damage.

You are not honest at all. Plain and simple. How many threads are you going to spam the boards with this week?

She’s a duck. Is unbelievably disrespectful to her opponents. And is perfect in every way, apparently. Shevchenko got what she deserved. And you’re both salty as can be. That’s mma dude. Deal with it.

Big pride, equals big fall. And Alexa isn’t a shit talker. She won fair and square. Zero controversy. Let her enjoy her moment in the sun. She won the UFC belt by finishing Shevchenko. That’s in the record books forever.

i don't see why her arrogance is seen as a bad thing. practically every single person who has ever strived for greatness is arrogant. you can't be truly humble while thinking you are the best in the world. by nature you have to believe you're better than everyone else.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Switching the stances completely messed up her gameplan. Grasso going unorthodox then going aggressive took away the body kicks that are Val's main weapon.

Grasso clearly had the perfect gameplan to beat Valentina, switch stances and push the pressure. Without the kicks she's got nothing.

i wouldn't say she has nothing without the kicks, it's just the kicks allow her to set the distance and control the exchanges.

 

[B0mbSquad]

You and pretty much everyone else underestimated Grasso and didn't realize she posed legitimate stylistic challenges for Val.

 

[VinceArch]

lmao, just for this, youre in the running for playa of the year.

The ignorance some people have on here sometimes...

 

[VinceArch]

Alexas hands looked clean and that back take was clean as hell. I also think Valentina has looked a little worse for about a year. I'd say it's both.

I was telling some personal friends that Alexa would be the faster fighter and if she can keep it standing she'd piece Shev up.

 

[mmainvestigations]

If she wouldn’t be cross eyed she might have been kinda cute.

I don't see it.

 

[RalphioSpinache]

i wouldn't say she has nothing without the kicks, it's just the kicks allow her to set the distance and control the exchanges.

I would, at least for Grasso who had her beat grappling and boxing. She doesn't just use the kicks for distance it's her main weapon. Taking them away completely nullified her offence.

She was getting picked apart in the standup, got stuffed on multiple td attempts and minimal to no output when they were on the ground. Take away the kicks Valentina has no way to win, not against Grasso who could outbox her, stuff td's and nullify ground attacks.

 

[leto1776]

When asked in a thread last month what Grasso's path to victory was, I respond with "Valentina will have to make a huge mistake, and grasso will have to capitalize on it perfectly.

and that's exactly what happened. Valentina pulled a chris weidman and threw a spinning kick from too close that cost her the fight.

She prepared well for it, too

If you put Grasso against Nunes and Holm she would get ktfo

I’d hope so, Grasso starting out at Strawweight and all

Why do you feel the need to shit on Grasso? Since moving up she's won five in a row now

The Simpchenkos are desperate

Yeah but Tokyo? It's my favourite city, sure. But to do a camp there? Sounds a bit distracted to me. Interesting NO DOUBT. But distracting.

I had mentioned her training in Toky before the fight in a different thread. Less because of it being “distracting,” more to do with Japan not being a place foreigners go to in order to train. In a time when Japanese fighters are finally waking up and seeking training elsewhere, Valentina went there to have her fight camp.

Even her rear naked choke defence declined. She defended them against a much better grappler Santos.
Now she couldn’t defend.

Santos gave her a lot of time to prep for and defend the choke. Grasso gave her zero time.

Switching the stances completely messed up her gameplan. Grasso going unorthodox then going aggressive took away the body kicks that are Val's main weapon.

Grasso clearly had the perfect gameplan to beat Valentina, switch stances and push the pressure. Without the kicks she's got nothing.

Grasso being aggressive from the start, and coming out in southpaw, definitely seemed to play a part.

 

[Credo]

Put a fork in her

 

[RalphioSpinache]

She prepared well for it, too

.

Alexa didn't need the mistake. Valentina was wilting, Grasso was dominating her in the standup and Shev was spamming takedowns out of desperation. Her composure was completely gone and she was fading fast.

Grasso was going to tko her the way things were going.

 

[MMAcolyte]

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

I think Grasso rocking Valentina in round 1 and making her panic wrestle is really an underrated factor here.

 

[MMAcolyte]

I wanna read the other replies but I think I know what happened so imagine just say it instead of adding on to what others have to say.

I think she was trying to have an impressive and exciting win, underestimated her opponent, Alexa Grasso, in the process. There's a video Henry cejudo uploaded he said the possible upset of this match could happen by valentina bringing swords when she should be brining knives. This is basically the same conclusion I've come to, except he predicted it beforehand.

Lol she was panic wrestling, telegraphing shots, and being cautious as fuck striking-and-biking after getting rocked hard in the first round. She doesn't care at all about being "exciting" or "impressive" (see Carmouche rematch), she's an ultra-efficient and high-IQ fighter who will always take the path of least resistance to maximize her chances.

She just fought a girl with a great gameplan who rocked her world in the first then took advantage later.

 

[MMAcolyte]

Valentina is absolutely arrogant,but most of the time what she is saying is true

Some people,the runner ups and the second places,dont like that

She's delusional as fuck. But she has a sort of femininity that lends itself to a real-life femme fatale vibe, and MMA fandom has fetishized her because of it and can never admit or see her doing any wrong.

Edit: Someone like Nunes or Andrade behaving and speaking the same way would not go down well around here.

 

[west42]

Anyone who's hit 35 years old knows the answer

 

[Paul E Gensinger]

She seems to be on the decline to me. Her reaction speed is a step behind.. maybe an off night or more likely that she's 35 and declining.

Declined obviously in the last two fights.
Sooner or later it happens.
Nobody beats Prime Valentina at 125.

 

[Zed237]

She didn't see that back take coming.

 

[krelianx]

Anybody who is in their mid thirties or older knows exactly the answer to this question.

 

[xhaydenx]

Why do you feel the need to shit on Grasso? Since moving up she's won five in a row now

Won em all pretty clearly as well, but that's not enough for some people lol.

She's got an amazing record. Her losses to Tatiana and Carla are nothing to to be ashamed about.

She should probably hang her head in shame for losing to Felice though, but she was still dealing with some gunshy issues back then.