Henry Cejudo: If Valentina Shevchenko goes blow-for-blow with Alexa Grasso, she could get put out

Henry Cejudo says Valentina Shevchenko will be making a mistake if she stands toe-to-toe with Alexa Grasso.

Flyweight champion Shevchenko (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) defends her title against Grasso (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 285 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Although Shevchenko has had no issues standing and trading with any of her prior opponents in her seven title defenses, Cejudo doesn’t think it would be a good idea against Mexican boxer Grasso.

“I will say this: This fight will go the distance,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “The toughest matchup that Valentina’s going to have is against a girl like Alexa Grasso. Alexa Grasso has power in her hands. If Valentina decides to sit there and go blow-for-blow with Alexa Grasso, Alexa Grasso could potentially put her out.”

However, Cejudo thinks Shevchenko could take advantage of her striking exchanges with Grasso by chopping away at her legs.

“There’s one thing that Alexa Grasso does have that not a lot of people have capitalized (on), is her stance. She’s very, very wide in her stance, and I do believe that if Valentina plays her game right tactically, there’s going to be a lot of leg kicks.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.