Issue 216

April 2025

It was one of those split-second snapshots that said everything the trilogy tried to explain. Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso, fists mid-flight, both landing at almost the exact same moment. Neither backing down. Neither breaking. For anyone wondering what their rivalry looked like in a single frame, this was it. This was more than just a photo. It became the defining visual of their rivalry that gave us three razor-close wars, a changing of the guard, and the rarest kind of opponent: one who could match Shevchenko not just technically, but mentally. The punch? It didn’t need a timestamp. It just existed, perfectly balanced, like everything between them. Now, nearly a year later, both women return on the same card at UFC 315. Grasso goes first. Valentina goes second. One defends gold. The other defends legacy. And somewhere in that night, this image will still be landing.

Date: September 16, 2023

Location: UFC Fight Night: Las Vegas, NV