Michael Bisping isn’t on board with the result of the recent flyweight title tilt.

Mexico’s last fighting UFC champion Alexa Grasso capped off the festive fight week that was Noche UFC in Las Vegas, Nev. this past Saturday night alongside her dance partner, the former champion Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso’s huge upset victory this past March set the stage for a big rematch on Mexican Independence Day.

Unsurprisingly, the two best fighters 125 pounds has to offer delivered in spades with a thrilling technical back-and-forth chess match over five rounds. Momentum shifts came in the forms of big strikes and tense grappling exchanges but Grasso and Shevchenko ultimately needed the judges’ scorecards this time around. Unfortunately, there was no winner as the bout was declared a split draw. Each fighter received one 48-47 scorecard from one of the three judges while the last judge Michael Bell had the fight 47-47 thanks to a Grasso 10-8 in round five. The aforementioned former middleweight champion Bisping is no stranger to questionable decisions, and like most, just can’t wrap his head around this one.

“I say Valentina Shevchenko should have won that fight three rounds to two, maybe even four rounds to one,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Round four was a close one.

“Referee Mike Bell gave a 10-8 round to Alexa Grasso in round five and there’s just no way. There is no way that that was a 10-8 round. Now granted, the understanding of a 10-8 is a little bit all over the place for a lot of people. It used to be back in the day to win a round via a 10-8 scorecard you had to go out there and almost kill your opponent. It’s not like that anymore.”

The fifth round was largely dictated by Shevchenko, edging out the first three minutes and 30 seconds with sharp jabs to out-strike Grasso. “The Bullet” landed 41 total strikes in the round per UFC Stats, which presumably all came in that timespan as Grasso closed the round in control. A big missed takedown from Shevchenko allowed the champion to fall onto the back of her rival, where she rained down punches and sought a rear-naked choke before the fight concluded.

A draw is never an ideal outcome but in this case, no one is more hurt than the division’s top contenders Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot. The result will more than likely lead to a trilogy between Grasso and Shevchenko, prolonging the other contenders’ immediate hopes of getting their shots at gold. However, Shevchenko revealed in her post-fight press conference that she broke her thumb in the first round of the fight and will need to wait and see how long it will take her to recover.

If it were up to “The Count,” Bisping would still wait and make it happen.

“For my money, they’ve got to do that fight again because it’s unfinished business,” Bisping said. “It was a draw.

“It wasn’t the biggest robbery. In fact, it wasn’t a robbery. That term gets thrown around too much. It was a very, very entertaining fight. Well done to Alexa Grasso.”

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TOP STORIES

Rough. ‘Worst ref in the game’: Fighters react to Daniel Lacerda’s no-decision vs. Edgar Cháirez at Noche UFC

Comparison. First man to knock out Sean Strickland, Elizeu Zaleski talks Israel Adesanya’s wrong strategy

Buzz. Jack Della Maddalena: ‘I’m sure haters will keep talking s***’ after Noche UFC win

Stipulation. Kevin Holland calls out Neil Magny after Noche UFC loss, adds loser cuts their hair

Tough. Emotional Tracy Cortez dedicates Noche UFC win to ‘big sister’ Gloria Cejudo after Cejudo’s death

Scoring. Daniel Cormier, Dominick Cruz react to controversial scorecard in Noche UFC main event: ‘That wasn’t a 10-8’

Aftermath. Alexa Grasso reacts to Noche UFC judging controversy, confident she beat Valentina Shevchenko

Victim. Valentina Shevchenko blasts 10-8 scorecard that cost her title at Noche UFC: ‘Completely unfair’

Problematic. ‘Can we get new judges‘: Fighters react to split draw in Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2

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VIDEO STEW

Noche UFC Post Show.

Noche UFC Post-Fight Press Conference.

Free fight.

Big debut.

Full fight.

RIZIN Confessions 131.

RIZIN 44 Preparation: Masenori Kanehara.

(Epic) Invicta Rapid Round.

Poatan’s lambo.

Sundae Tyson.

Almighty Cooking Blighty.

BJJ Mount control.

Underdogs.

The Rising Boxing Stars of Arabia.

Burns and stem cells.

Fancy reverse kimura.

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MORNING MUSIC

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Education.

Staying put.

Stats.

Confusion.

Arnold’s trigger.

Tofiq.

Very.

Hendo.

Whoops?

Darren.

Suga Show.

Legends.

All bows.

Ready.

Next?

Deaded.

Yep.

Speed.

Bam.

Sisterhood.

A Dublin diamond.

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Grant Neal (8-1) vs. Romero Cotton (6-1); Bellator 300, Oct. 7

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (20-7-1) vs. Maciej Różański (14-4); Bellator 300, Oct. 7

Tainara Lisboa (6-2) vs. Ravena Oliveira (7-1-1); UFC Vegas 81, Oct. 14

Nathaniel Wood (19-5) vs. Muhammad Naimov (9-2); UFC 294, Oct. 21

Javid Basharat (14-0) vs. Victor Henry (23-6); UFC 294, Oct. 21

Eduarda Moura (9-0) vs. Montserrat Conejo Ruiz (10-3); UFC Sao Paulo, Nov. 4

Yuki Motoya (33-11) vs. Kosuke “Coro” Terashima (20-18-5); DEEP 116 Impact, Nov. 11

Satoru Kitaoka (44-25-9) vs. Takeshi Izumi (4-2); DEEP 116 Impact, Nov. 11

Mateusz Rębecki (18-1) vs. Nurullo Aliev (9-0); UFC 295, Nov. 11

Pat Sabatini (18-4) vs Diego Lopes (22-6); UFC 295, Nov. 11

Jamall Emmers (19-7) vs. Dennis Buzukja (11-3); UFC 295, Nov. 11

AJ McKee (20-1) vs. Sidney Outlaw (17-5); Bellator 301, Nov. 17

Jamey-Lyn Horth (6-0) vs. Veronica Hardy (7-4-1); UFC Fight Night, Dec. 2

Zhang Mingyang (16-6) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (15-5); UFC Fight Night, Dec. 9

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FINAL THOUGHTS

What is it with the flyweight divisions and draws, huh? Sheesh. Anyway, the rematch was spectacular and an unforgettable memory that I’m glad I got to witness. I’m curious how it resonated through TV and how it looks from that perspective. Curious to find out.

Thanks for reading!

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POLL POSITION

Last Week’s Results:

Friday: 67% of 388 total votes answered “Sean Strickland” when asked, “Who would win the rematch?” Jared Cannonier defeated Strickland via split decision at UFC Vegas 66.

Thursday: 61% of 366 total votes answered “Sean Strickland” when asked, “Who do you favor in an instant rematch?” Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at UFC 293.

Wednesday: 40% of 477 total votes answered “Valentina Shevchenko and Kevin Holland” when asked, “Who wins this weekend?” Alexa Grasso and Shevchenko fought to a split draw in the Noche UFC main event this past Saturday. Jack Della Maddalena defeated Holland via split decision in the Noche UFC co-main event.

Tuesday: 46% of 569 total votes answered “Sean Strickland” when asked, “Who is the current best middleweight on the planet?”

Monday: 36% of 601 total votes answered “1” when asked, “How many times will Sean Strickland defend the UFC middleweight title?”

Today’s exit poll:

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