"It was challenging to unite the crushed bones" - Valentina Shevchenko shares painful injury update after controversial war against Alexa Grasso

Valentina Shevchenko has provided fans with a health update after undergoing surgery on her hand, following her controversial bout against Alexa Grasso.

Shevchenko and Grasso met in a highly anticipated rematch for the women's flyweight title at Noche UFC earlier this month. The two women went to war in front of Grasso's home crowd, with the controversy stemming from the judges' scorecards.

Valentina Shevchenko and Alex Grasso were both given the nod 48-47 by two judges, whereas judge Mike Bell scored the fight 47-47, after giving Grasso a highly contentious 10-8 in the fifth round. His scoring directly resulted in a split draw, as he otherwise had Shevchenko 3-1 up heading into the final round.

The disappointment didn't stop there for Valentina Shevchenko either, as a medical check after the fight revealed she had suffered broken and crushed bones in her hand, requiring surgery.

It appears as though the operation was a success, however, thanks to an update from 'Bullet' on her social media. Shevchenko revealed the doctors found the surgery challenging, but she is expected to make a full recovery. She posted:

"Yesterday my hand surgery went well. But doctor said it was challenging to unite the crushed bones. Recovery from anesthesia wasn’t fun at all! Spend whole day in the bed, taking pain relief pills 🥲 Today feeling already better 🙏 and were able to go walk to Muscle Beach to charge strong energy for my recovery 💪 🙂 #LosAngeles #California #VeniceBeach #MuscleBeach"

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Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping want Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko III

Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping both hope that there is another chapter in the story between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

Grasso retained her status as the UFC flyweight women's champion after her split-draw clash against Shevchenko. Despite both women having their moments throughout the grueling 25-minute showdown, the controversial scoring has left fans wanting a definitive ending to the rivalry.

Weighing in on their Believe You Me podcast, Bisping and Smith discussed the potential of a trilogy bout between the pair. According to 'Lionheart', he wants to see a better version of Alexa Grasso, if she wants to cement her legacy as a champion. He said:

"I think it needs to be concluded. At least for me, there's more to be seen, I want to see more. I thought that Grasso didn't fight that great if I'm being honest. I left wanting to see more rounds with those two. It's very likely that Valentina Shevchenko made the adjustments and made her look like that. I thought her range was off, I think we could see a better fight out of them, which I'm really excited about."

Catch Bisping and Smith's comments here (11:31):

Whether or not the third fight between the two takes place remains to be seen but it seems that the story needs a fitting ending.