Grasso has surgery on hand hurt vs. Shevchenko

Alexa Grasso recently underwent surgery on a previously undisclosed hand injury, the UFC flyweight champion revealed Tuesday.

Grasso (16-3-1) posted about the surgery online and said she suffered a fractured hand during her five-round title fight against Valentina Shevchenko (23-4) on Sept. 16 in Las Vegas. Shevchenko also suffered a broken thumb in the bout.

“What are the odds, huh?” Grasso wrote on Instagram.

The 125-pound title fight, a rematch of a championship bout in March in which Grasso upset Shevchenko to claim the belt, ended in a split draw. No third fight has been announced, although UFC president Dana White has hinted it will happen next.

Grasso, of Mexico, referred to the looming third fight in her post, saying, “I know I will be MEGA ready for that trilogy.”

Shevchenko is expected to resume full training around the start of 2024. Flyweight contenders Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield have each made their cases for a title shot, though it appears for the moment that Shevchenko will be next.