Former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko questions referee Jason Herzog’s decisions during her loss to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 but remains focused on reclaiming her title in future fights.
Valentina Shevchenko, the former longtime flyweight champion, has some questions for referee Jason Herzog after her recent loss at UFC 285. Shevchenko lost her title to Alexa Grasso, who pulled off a fourth-round submission by countering a spinning back kick with a rear-naked choke. Shevchenko doesn’t regret her decision to throw the kick, but she does take issue with Herzog’s actions throughout the fight.
On The MMA Hour, the former champion said, “It’s hard to say I shouldn’t throw that spinning back kick… It’s a very powerful kick. It’s a very strong kick. I’ve done so many knockouts with this spinning back kick…Definitely it’s an error, it’s a mistake, but at the same time…it’s not something that I cannot deal [with, or] will bring me so much down and I will be upset.” Shevchenko believes some of the referee’s decisions during the fight negatively impacted her performance and potentially played a role in the outcome.
In previous fights, Herzog had been the referee and the former champion was unhappy with his decisions. In one instance, Shevchenko landed a head kick on her opponent, but the referee stopped the fight, allowing her opponent to recover. Shevchenko explains, “when you [get a takedown] you definitely want to use the situation because you spend so much energy. And when it was decided, ‘Oh no, in my opinion you don’t have to be there. You have to fight in the stand-up,’ it’s kind of working against you because it affects your performance, because you have to build the situation all over again.”
Shevchenko remains focused on the future and reclaiming her title, stating, “I’m unbreakable… I’m built differently. I’m built to fight, to do everything as a warrior, and this is what my mindset is right now. Now I don’t have to deal with all this stuff like media or like that, I just focus on my main goal…I hope the UFC will come and schedule the fight very soon… Then I will have a date and it will be a goal, and I will slowly and surely start my way to come back.”