# UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2
**UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2**, also billed as Noche UFC, was a mixed martial arts event held by the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) on September 16, 2023, at [T-Mobile Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/t-mobile-arena) in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was headlined by a UFC women's flyweight championship rematch between titleholder Alexa Grasso of Mexico and former champion Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan, which ended in a split draw and left Grasso with the belt.[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/weigh-results-grasso-vs-shevchenko-2-noche-ufc) • [2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/9/17/23877067/noche-ufc-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-official-scorecards)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | September 16, 2023, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/weigh-results-grasso-vs-shevchenko-2-noche-ufc) |
| Main event result | Split draw: Mike Bell 47-47, Sal D'Amato 48-47 Shevchenko, Junichiro Kamijo 48-47 Grasso; Grasso retained the flyweight title[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/9/17/23877067/noche-ufc-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-official-scorecards) |
| Decisive score | Bell's 10-8 for Grasso in round 5 turned a would-be Shevchenko split decision into a draw[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/9/17/23877067/noche-ufc-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-official-scorecards) |
| First fight | Grasso won the title from Shevchenko at UFC 285 in March 2023 by fourth-round rear-naked choke[3](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38419020/alexa-grasso-retains-title-draw-valentina-shevchenko) |
| Fight statistics | Significant strikes 84-80 for Grasso; Shevchenko held more than 8:30 of control time over five rounds[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) |
| Broadcast | Exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish[5](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/noche-ufc-grasso-vs-shevchenko-presentada-por-cuervo) |
| Aftermath | Shevchenko won the trilogy fight at UFC 306 in September 2024 by 50-45 scores on all three judges' cards[6](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf) |
## Background
Grasso had taken the flyweight title from Shevchenko at [UFC 285](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-285) in March 2023, submitting the heavy favorite with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. She entered as roughly a 6-to-1 underdog, and the win made her the UFC's first Mexican women's champion.[3](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38419020/alexa-grasso-retains-title-draw-valentina-shevchenko) • [7](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/alexa-grass-ufc-mma-mexico) Given Shevchenko's long run as champion, an immediate rematch was all but guaranteed, and it was booked six months later for the inaugural Noche UFC, a card the UFC staged around Mexican Independence Day.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) • [8](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/dana-white-anuncia-funcion-mexicana-de-ufc-para-16-de-septiembre-n/) UFC president [Dana White](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-white) announced the date in June 2023, saying the promotion had erred by not featuring its Mexican champions on the holiday.[8](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/dana-white-anuncia-funcion-mexicana-de-ufc-para-16-de-septiembre-n/)
Grasso was also the first UFC champion to have trained primarily in Mexico, running her camps in her hometown at Lobo Gym under her coach and uncle, Francisco "Pancho" Grasso.[3](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38419020/alexa-grasso-retains-title-draw-valentina-shevchenko) Coming into the rematch, ESPN ranked Shevchenko No. 2 and Grasso No. 3 on its women's pound-for-pound list.[3](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38419020/alexa-grasso-retains-title-draw-valentina-shevchenko)
## The fight
The rematch was closely contested throughout. Shevchenko opened with body kicks and a sharp jab, and scored takedowns, including a perfectly timed trip at the end of round 2 and extended top control in round 3, where she threatened with a guillotine choke.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) Grasso's biggest moment came in round 2, when a counter right hand sent Shevchenko somersaulting backward, the only knockdown of the fight; she followed with knees in the clinch and won the round on all scorecards.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc)
In round 4, Grasso stuffed a takedown, landed knees to Shevchenko's head and scored a slam, while Shevchenko outboxed her for much of the round. In the fifth, Shevchenko again went for a trip and Grasso took her back, finishing the fight with ground-and-pound and a submission attempt.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) According to UFC Stats, Grasso outlanded Shevchenko in significant strikes 84 to 80, including a 28-15 advantage in round 2; Shevchenko, however, controlled the action for over 8:30 across the five rounds and narrowly won the striking battles to the head (61-54) and on the ground (7-2), whereas Grasso connected more often to the body (12-6) and legs (18-13).[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) Spanish-language coverage credited Grasso with 262 total strikes to 199 for Shevchenko.[9](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/alexa-grasso-mantiene-campeonato-de-peso-mosca-por-empate-dividido-ante-valentina-shevchenko-n/) Shevchenko later said she had fought four rounds of the bout with a broken thumb.[10](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/valentina-sevchenko-confirma-que-peleo-4-rounds-con-el-pulgar-roto-n/)
## The scorecards
All three judges had Shevchenko ahead 29-28 through three rounds, taking rounds 1 and 3. In round 4, Kamijo scored it for Grasso while Bell and D'Amato scored it for Shevchenko, leaving Grasso down on two cards entering the fifth. There, Bell issued a 10-8 for Grasso while D'Amato and Kamijo scored it 10-9, producing cards of 47-47, 48-47 Shevchenko, and 48-47 Grasso, a split draw. Without the 10-8, Shevchenko would have won a split decision and regained the title.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/9/17/23877067/noche-ufc-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-official-scorecards)
The 10-8 drew scrutiny. Under the scoring criteria, a 10-8 round requires dominance, duration, and damage rather than the typical 10-9, and Jeff Mullen, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said he did not agree with Bell's score.[11](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38449777/nsac-jeff-mullen-agree-10-8-grasso-shevchenko) Media opinion was split evenly: of the scorecards listed on MMA Decisions, 11 members scored it 48-47 Grasso and 11 scored it 48-47 Shevchenko.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) Fan scoring was similarly divided, with 46 percent of nearly 2,000 MMA Decisions submissions giving it 48-47 Grasso and 41.3 percent giving it 48-47 Shevchenko.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc) Because a drawn title fight leaves the belt with the champion, Grasso retained the flyweight title.[12](https://mma.social/blog/grasso-vs-shevchenko-2-scorecard)
## Aftermath
The draw set up a third fight between the two, the first women's trilogy in UFC history. It took place as the co-main event of [UFC 306](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-306) at Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024, where Shevchenko reclaimed the championship with all three judges scoring it 50-45, using a ground-and-pound strategy to control Grasso in every round.[6](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf) • [13](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/45010418/valentina-shevchenko-demetrious-johnson-make-their-flyweight-goat-cases-other) In the third fight, Shevchenko took Grasso down in every round and controlled her from inside guard.[13](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/45010418/valentina-shevchenko-demetrious-johnson-make-their-flyweight-goat-cases-other)
The rest of the September 2023 card was scheduled to feature Gastelum facing Rakhmonov in the co-main event at welterweight, but Gastelum withdrew because of an injury and the bout did not take place; the card did feature bouts including [Kevin Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-holland) against [Jack Della Maddalena](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-della-maddalena) and [Raul Rosas Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/raul-rosas-jr) against Terrence Mitchell.[8](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/dana-white-anuncia-funcion-mexicana-de-ufc-para-16-de-septiembre-n/) • [14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mWvTA24iwQ) • [16](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/8/1/23815687/kelvin-gastelum-out-of-fight-with-shavkat-rakhmonov-in-september) Grasso and Shevchenko headlined what the UFC described as a successful first Noche UFC event.[15](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bonus-coverage-2023-performance-fight-of-the-night)
## References
1. [Weigh-In Results | Noche UFC, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/weigh-results-grasso-vs-shevchenko-2-noche-ufc)
2. [Noche UFC: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 official scorecards, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/9/17/23877067/noche-ufc-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-official-scorecards)
3. [Alexa Grasso retains title after split draw with Valentina Shevchenko, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38419020/alexa-grasso-retains-title-draw-valentina-shevchenko)
4. [Retro Robbery Review: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 at Noche UFC, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/13/24243543/retro-robbery-review-alexa-grasso-vs-valentina-shevchenko-2-at-noche-ufc)
5. [Noche UFC: Grasso vs Shevchenko Presentada Por Cuervo, UFC Español](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/noche-ufc-grasso-vs-shevchenko-presentada-por-cuervo)
6. [Arab Times, September 16, 2024 (UFC 306 results)](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf)
7. [Mexican-born fighter shocks the MMA world, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/alexa-grass-ufc-mma-mexico)
8. [Dana White anuncia función mexicana de UFC para 16 de septiembre, AS USA](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/dana-white-anuncia-funcion-mexicana-de-ufc-para-16-de-septiembre-n/)
9. [Alexa Grasso mantiene campeonato de peso mosca por empate dividido, AS USA](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/alexa-grasso-mantiene-campeonato-de-peso-mosca-por-empate-dividido-ante-valentina-shevchenko-n/)
10. [Valentina Shevchenko confirma que peleó 4 rounds con el pulgar roto, AS USA](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/valentina-sevchenko-confirma-que-peleo-4-rounds-con-el-pulgar-roto-n/)
11. [NSAC's Jeff Mullen doesn't agree with 10-8 in Grasso-Shevchenko, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/38449777/nsac-jeff-mullen-agree-10-8-grasso-shevchenko)
12. [Grasso vs Shevchenko 2: Who Really Won?, MMA.SOCIAL](https://mma.social/blog/grasso-vs-shevchenko-2-scorecard)
13. [Valentina Shevchenko and Demetrious Johnson make their flyweight GOAT cases, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/45010418/valentina-shevchenko-demetrious-johnson-make-their-flyweight-goat-cases-other)
14. [UFC Noche Event Recap Grasso vs Shevchenko 2, YouTube (The MMA Guru)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mWvTA24iwQ)
15. [Who Won Bonuses? Every Single UFC Bonus in 2023, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bonus-coverage-2023-performance-fight-of-the-night)
16. [Kelvin Gastelum out of fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov in September](https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/8/1/23815687/kelvin-gastelum-out-of-fight-with-shavkat-rakhmonov-in-september)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › UFC Fight Night events › UFC Fight Night events 2022–present*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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