'So different, so powerful, so strong': Valentina Shevchenko explains how she finally beat Alexa Grasso

LAS VEGAS – Valentina Shevchenko is "new" again.

For the first time in over a year-and-a-half, Shevchenko (24-4-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) holds title gold – something that was a familiar feeling for the years prior to her UFC 285 loss to Alexa Grasso in March 2023.

"It was my third fight with Alexa and I don't know, I just feel so different, so powerful, so strong – even better than I was a few years ago," Shevchenko told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. "This strength, I just felt it through my veins, through everything. I think it's something good for a fighter. If you're not evolving, it's kind of like, 'OK, it's time for retirement.' But if you feel strong and powerful and continue to do these hard things that you are doing but you love it, this is kind of what's important. Rest – it doesn't matter."

As she sat at the news conference table, Shevchenko maintained her typical level of professionalism and pose – but with a more relaxed, beaming vibe than usual. A sense of comfortability in knowing the universe was aligned as she wanted it was projected outward.

"I'm so happy about everything – definitely," Shevchenko said. "I'm so happy to return what belongs to me. It was one year without the belt. It was feeling so weird. Really right now, it's difficult to present all the emotions going through me, because with all the adrenaline and thing after the fight that happened. I think by tomorrow I would exactly answer the question. But right now, in two words, I'm just happy that everything is good."

Shevchenko entered the event 0-1-1 against Grasso (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC), the promotion's women's flyweight title holder, but won by unanimous decision. The third time was the charm.

"This belt, what it means for me, is all the story (of) losing the belt because of my own errors that I did in the first fight," Shevchenko said. "Then, fighting the second fight and winning the fight and getting a draw. Then, this third fight, this five months of training camp, it was so intense for me, not only physically but mentally. It is every time thinking about how to become better. ... For this particular fight I was feeling so much energy inside me, monster energy, and I just unleashed it and went with everything in this fight."

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Now that she sits back atop the flyweight throne, Shevchenko declined to drop a name she wants to fight next. She said she'll leave it up to the UFC to line them up. She just plans to knock them down.

"To be the best, you have to win (against) the best," Shevchenko said. "This is every time my mindset. This defines me, who I am. That's why I never choose my opponent and say, 'Oh, this one. I don't go with this one, I probably go with another one.' No, it's not me. It's very hard for me to say right now. ... It was super intense preparation for this fight, not only in terms physical, or training or something like that, but mental part was super hard as well. Every time you go to bed, you're thinking what you have to do differently with the training, what technique you have to do to add to your game. Now, finally the first night after five or six months, I can sleep and enjoy my sleep."

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 306.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 'So different, so powerful, so strong': Valentina Shevchenko explains how she finally beat Alexa Grasso