Kamaru Usman: Alexa Grasso has the upper hand in her rematch with Shevchenko

• UFC

Kamaru Usman made a couple of interesting statements before UFC Night, which will be held this Saturday in Las Vegas. He pointed out that Grasso will go into this match even more confident and in a better mood than it was in the last match.

After 7 title defenses Valentina Shevchenko (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) lost the belt to Alex Grasso (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). She hoped to have one more fight before the rematch, but the UFC decided that the rematch will be her next match.

Valentina Shevchenko deserved it after many belt defenses. “When you’re fighting someone who’s not exactly supposed to be in there right now at that time and you let them hang around long enough, and they start to build that confidence that they do belong in here, you find yourself in a fist fight or some type of situation you don’t want to be in,” Usman said on ESPN’s “DC & RC”.

“That is this case to a ‘T.’ as quoted by MMAjunkie.

Kamaru Usman: Alexa Grasso has the psychological advantage

“Alexa Grasso, who at the time I believe was ranked No. 3 and got the opportunity to fight because Valentina had ran through the entire division, when she got in there, she took full advantage of that opportunity because looking at that fight, who thought Valentina Shevchenko was going to lose to Alexa Grasso?” Kamaru Usman himself lost twice to the same opponent Leon Edwards defeated him twice in a row.

That's why Usman says that it will psychologically affect Valentina and, of course, Alexa, who will be much more confident than the last match. “This is one of those things, now, with the rematch, it becomes even harder to try and get that belt off of these contenders,” Usman said.

“They jump in there as just contenders, they leave as champion. That’s a whole aother confidence they have now in thinking and saying to themselves, ‘Oh, I was the best all along. I just needed the opportunity.' ”