Alexa Grasso retains UFC women’s flyweight title after split draw

The Noche UFC stalemate

Alexa Grasso retains the UFC women’s flyweight title after a split draw against Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC on September 16, 2026. The contest at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas produced scorecards of 48-47 for Grasso, 47-48 for Shevchenko, and a 47-47 draw. Grasso hails from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and she is the current champion despite the inconclusive scores. Grasso secured her title retention after the judges delivered a 47-47 split draw, which offset the 48-47 cards for Grasso and Shevchenko following a very late attempt by Shevchenko to secure a submission. Shevchenko argued she won three rounds to two, though she suggested the Mexican Independence Day atmosphere influenced the judging. Grasso disagreed, stating her punches landed hard enough to secure the result. Grasso previously shocked the world during UFC 285, taking the title from Shevchenko with a fourth-round submission despite being a +450 underdog. Will the UFC order a third fight between these two?

Detailed fight analysis

The fight featured intense exchanges between the two competitors throughout five rounds. In the first round, Shevchenko used her jab to pace the action. Grasso countered with a right hand that put the former champion on her back. Shevchenko recovered and used strikes in the clinch. During the third round, Shevchenko secured a takedown and transitioned to a mounted guillotine. Grasso escaped the choke but Shevchenko controlled the remainder of the round. The fourth round contained a slam and borderline illegal knees from Grasso. In the fifth round, Shevchenko used elbows and combinations to pressure Grasso. An ill-fated takedown attempt by Shevchenko nearly cost her the fight in those final moments.

Grasso is the dominant force in the division despite the draw. Shevchenko, a multi-time Muay Thai gold medalist, used her striking expertise to challenge Grasso. She has secured eight wins via knockout and seven via submission throughout her career. Shevchenko has beaten fighters like Lauren Murphy, Jessica Andrade, and Katlyn Chookagian. Grasso holds a record of 17-3 MMA and 9-3 UFC. She landed 59 significant strikes against Shevchenko and 153 against Viviane Araujo. Shevchenko averages 2.57 takedowns per fight and landed 22 in her previous four contests.

The recovery path

Grasso’s recovery path includes victories over top contenders like Manon Fiorot and Maycee Barber. Grasso defeated Fiorot at Noche UFC on September 12, 2026, in Glendale, Arizona. Fiorot, who is the No. 2 ranked contender, entered the bout with a 7-0 record in her first seven UFC appearances before her loss to Shevchenko at UFC 315. Fiorot bounced back against Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC Vancouver in October. Grasso also achieved a knockout of Barber at UFC Seattle on March 28, 2026. You should note these wins helped Grasso stabilize after her loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315 on May 10, 2025. This loss followed a defeat by Shevchenko at UFC 306 in September 2024. Grasso’s career includes wins over Viviane Araujo and Joanne Wood. Grasso moved to the 125-pound flyweight division to improve her training capacity. She previously struggled with weight cuts, missing the mark against Randa Markos in 2017 and against Claudia Gadelha. Grasso believes this weight change allows for better strength training and longer training sessions.