Alexa grasso e Valentina Shevchenko tied in Night UFC (Photo: Instagram/UFC)
Last Saturday (16), many fans were surprised by the draw between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko in the main fight of Night UFC, worth the fly belt (up to 56,7kg). Although it is not commonplace, this was not the first time that a title fight ended in a draw in UFC history.
With that in mind, the team at SUPER FIGHTS remember the other five times judges declared a draw in UFC title fights:
BJ Penn x Caol Uno – UFC 41
The first draw in title fights in Ultimate happened more than 20 years ago, in February 2003. At the time, B.J. Penn and Caol Uno faced each other in the final of a four-man tournament for the vacant lightweight belt (up to 70,3kg).
At the end of the five rounds, one judge scored a victory for Penn, another for Uno and the third a draw at 48-48. As a result, the title remained vacant until 2006, when Sean Sherk became champion by overcoming Kenny Florian.
Frankie Edgar x Gray Maynard – UFC 125
Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard they tied at UFC 125 (Photo: UFC.com)
The second draw on the list also happened in the lightweight division (up to 70,3kg). On the first day of 2007, Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard they faced each other in an instant classic for the category belt.
Looking for his second title defense, Edgar survived a 'strike' from Maynard in the first round and managed to recover in the following rounds. At the end of the five rounds, the duel ended in a split draw (47-47, 48-46, 46-48) and Edgar retained the belt.
Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard, who had already faced each other in 2008, faced each other again months after the draw. This time, 'The Answer' once again withstood the initial pressure from 'The Bully' and achieved a technical knockout in the fourth round.
Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC 205
Woodley (left) and Thompson (right) tied in 2016. (Photo: UFC.com)
The third draw on the list took place in the welterweight division (up to 77,1kg) and featured the then champion Tyron woodley, who was looking for his first title defense, and the challenger Stephen Thompson.
After five rounds full of twists and turns, one of the judges scored a 48-47 victory for Woodley, while the other two scored a draw at 47-47.
In the fight, in March 2017, the champion defended his title in a majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47).
Deiveson Figueiredo x Brandon Moreno – UFC 256
D. Figueiredo (left) and B. Moreno (right) tied for the UFC 256. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
The rivalry between Deiveson Figueiredo e Brandon Moreno, which resulted in the first quadrilogy in the history of Ultimate, began with a draw, in the UFC 256in December 2020.
In the third round of the duel, Deiveson had a point deducted due to a low blow. At the end of the five rounds, one judge scored the Brazilian a 48-46 victory, while the other two saw it as a 47-47 draw.
The two would face each other again on three more occasions, with the advantage of the Mexican, who won twice.
Jan Blachowicz x Magomed Ankalaev – UFC 282
Jan Blachowicz e Magomed Ankalayev tied in UFC 282. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufcespanol
Before 'Grasso x Shevchenko 2', the last draw in title fights in Ultimate had occurred in the fight for the vacant light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg) in December 2022, in UFC 282.
After five drawn-out rounds of a monotonous duel, the title fight ended in a majority draw (47-48, 48-46 and 47-47).
The organization's dissatisfaction with the duel was so great that the rematch was not scheduled. Instead, Jamahal hill e Glover Teixeira They fought for the title the following month, with the North American winning.
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