In a surprising turn of events, Antonina Shevchenko’s camp has raised allegations of ‘illegal’ knees against her opponent, Alexa Grasso, in their recent Noche UFC matchup. The accusations center around Referee Herb Dean’s handling of the fight, specifically in the fourth round.
Shevchenko appears to have misremembered the precise moments when the alleged illegal strikes occurred, stating, “You didn’t complain in the 3rd round about 5 illegal knees that your opponent landed to the head! You continued the fight like a warrior! Please don’t be upset, my dear sister! Everyone who saw this fight knows that you are the winner! It was a beautiful, spectacular fight between two high-level opponents, with amazing MMA technique, which can be watched over and over.”
Video footage of the sequence in question reveals that Shevchenko did indeed have one hand on the ground during part of the sequence while Grasso was executing the knee strikes. Had these strikes been officially ruled as illegal, it would have likely resulted in a reversal of the 4th round’s 10-9 score in favor of Grasso, potentially giving Shevchenko a majority decision win instead of a draw.
So funny lmao game the system and you will get gamed back pic.twitter.com/P2CVSlU8H2
— Josie Aldo (@MMAWretch) September 17, 2023
However, Shevchenko’s argument encounters a setback due to Nevada’s specific rules regarding ‘grounded opponents.’ According to the Association of Boxing Commission’s definition, a fighter is considered grounded when “any part of the body, other than a single hand and soles of the feet,” touches the fighting area floor. This means that both hands or one knee must be in contact with the ground to classify as a ‘downed opponent.’ Therefore, kicks or knees to the head are not permitted unless the fighter meets these criteria.
In this context, it appears that Shevchenko did not meet the criteria for a ‘grounded fighter’ as defined by Nevada’s rules. Consequently, her claims of ‘illegal’ knees against Grasso may not hold up.
As the dispute lingers on, it seems that the matter will need to be settled inside the Octagon. In the meantime, Alexa Grasso will retain her belt, and fans will eagerly await any developments in this contentious situation.
