Alexa Grasso Retains Title Following Controversial Draw at Noche UFC

Fans were treated to one of the greatest title fights in Ultimate Fighting Championship history but left with a sour taste in their mouths after the highly-anticipated rematch between flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and former kingpin Valentina Shevchenko was scored a split draw (48-47, 47-48, 47-47) in the Noche UFC main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night.

Six months after snapping Shevchenko’s nine-fight winning streak and reign as champion, Grasso entered the partisan crowd on Mexican Independence Day as the fan favorite, but "Bullet" was eager to spoil the party.

Shevchenko dominated on the ground early but looked tense on the feet and Grasso took advantage. The champ dropped Shevchenko in Round 2 and brought the crowd to its feet before piecing her up in the clinch. Shevchenko yet again took the fight to the ground, but it was clear that Grasso was a deserving champion.

Rounds 3 and 4 were back and forth and could’ve swayed either way. Heading into the final stanza it was believed to be either women’s fight.

Shevchenko looked like she was on her way to cruising to regaining her belt by controlling most of the action with the jab, but she made a critical mistake giving up her head on an errant takedown attempt. Grasso nearly closed the show yet again with a rear-naked choke, but Shevchenko survived .

While most fans can understand the decision to score the fight a draw, judge Mike Bell’s 10-8 scoring for Grasso in Round 5 was a head-scratcher. Had he scored it a 10-9 round, Shevchenko would’ve retained the belt by split decision. Instead, Grasso retained the strap as fans eagerly await a potential third matchup between the flyweight rivals.

Della Maddalena Upsets Holland

One of the most anticipated fights of the card ultimately left fans wanting much more than they received. Two of the welterweight division’s most skilled strikers, Jack Della Maddalena and Kevin Holland, fought at a sparring pace and left the decision in doubt.

Ultimately Della Maddalena was awarded the split decision nod (29-28, 28-29, 28-29) but you’d be hard-pressed to explain why. Neither guy separated themselves as Della Maddalena (16-2) fell short with most of his shots and Holland (25-10) was hesitant to showcase the power that ended 14 of his opponents. The co-main event was a snoozer between two guys who usually bring the fireworks.

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Rosas Jr. Rebounds Emphatically

The UFC’s youngest prospect returned to the win column in a big way as 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. starched Terrence Mitchell 54 seconds into their bantamweight battle. Despite being 15 years his senior, Mitchell used none of his experience or wisdom when he raced to center cage and initiated a fire fight.

Rosas responded with a thunderous hook that dropped the Alaskan. As Mitchell tried to get back to his feet, the young phenom took his back and ended the fight with a barrage of punches. After taking the first loss of his career last April, Rosas reignited the hype train behind him with the fastest finish of the night.

Zellhuber Turns Tables on Giagos

If you blinked at the wrong time you might’ve missed Daniel Zellhuber flip the script on Christos Giagos in their lightweight clash.

Giagos may have started the fight strong with sharp punches, but he was shocked as everyone else after Zellhuber (14-1) turned his ill-timed shot into a sleek, sexy anaconda that forced Giagos to tap at the 3:26 mark of the second round.

At 6-foot-1, Zellhuber literally looms large in a stacked lightweight division. With the length to give anyone an awkward look and the grappling to keep the best honest, “The Golden Boy” could be in for some intriguing matchups down the line.

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Nelson Denies Pro-Padilla Crowd

Kyle Nelson feels like he’s on top of the world right now. After securing his second straight UFC win over Fernando Padilla, “The Monster” announced he was expecting a child soon. The pro-Mexican fans were displeased with Nelson’s unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) but Nelson has made a name for himself as a live dog by taking out favorites recently.

In his last outing, Nelson handed Blake Bilder his first loss and had little problems exposing the holes in Padilla’s game. Padilla won most of the early exchanges but a lack of footwork and head movement made him susceptible to Nelson’s counters. Heading into round three seemingly tied on the cards, Nelson’s lateral movement opened up his kicks, punches and a route up the featherweight standings.

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