LAS VEGAS – The first trilogy in UFC women’s history came to an end Saturday, and Valentina Shevchenko was the one who had the last laugh.

Shevchenko (24-4-1) regained her flyweight title by defeating Alexa Grasso (16-4-1) by unanimous decision at UFC 306 inside the Sphere. It was the third consecutive title fight between Shevchenko and Grasso, dating back to March 2023. Grasso took the belt from Shevchenko in their first encounter, in a major upset by decision. The second fight ended in a majority draw a year ago.

The final act proved surprisingly one-sided, with Shevchenko, 35, executing a very wrestling-focused game plan, knocking down Grasso in each of the five rounds and earning a 50-45 unanimous decision.

According to UFC statistics, Grasso only managed to land 18 significant punches. Shevchenko had more than 16 minutes of control time on the ground in the 25-minute fight.

“It’s a dream come true to fight in the sphere,” Shevchenko said. “Everything about this fight was more satisfying (than the last one). The plan was to go in there and fight to the end.”

It was a night of satisfaction for Shevchenko, who vehemently said she felt she had won the rematch in September 2023. Shevchenko would have won that fight had a judge not scored the final round 10-8 for Grasso, resulting in the majority tie result. Although Grasso clearly won the fifth round, many doubted whether he was dominant enough to warrant a 10-8 result.

Shevchenko left no doubt on Saturday and essentially neutralized Grasso’s attack, expertly attacking her from long range while standing before striking with well-timed takedowns. Grasso allowed eight of 12 takedown attempts and struggled to get back to her feet. She threatened Shevchenko with a handful of back submissions, including a tight guillotine in the fourth round, but was unable to finish any of them.

The crowd booed at times for the lack of action in the co-main event, but that didn’t dampen Shevchenko’s spirits, and she appeared emotional as the final bell rang. She had held the 125-pound title for nearly four years when Grasso took it from her in 2022.

Kyrgyzstan-born Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest female fighters of all time. Until her win against Grasso, she had never been winless in consecutive MMA appearances. Her next title defense will likely come against French No. 1 contender Manon Fiorot.