Valentina Shevchenko may have left UFC 315 with her hand raised, but the aftermath of her victory over Manon Fiorot lacked the celebratory weight fans wanted. In what was regarded as a razor-thin battle, ‘Bullet’ won unanimously 48-47 on all three judges’ scorecards. While she landed 173 significant strikes in comparison to Fiorot’s 150 and put her down late in the fourth round, many fans questioned whether that was enough.
The French contender controlled the pace in the later rounds with takedowns and clinch pressure, and her resilience led many to believe she had done just enough to win. The problem was not the competitiveness of the fight but the circumstances in which it occurred. The Montreal PPV had received criticism for questionable judging decisions earlier in the night, and Shevchenko’s victory appeared to be the final straw.
Earlier in the evening, Modestas Bukauskas won a confusing split decision over Ion Cutelaba, despite the latter obviously dominating the early rounds with better volume and control. Two judges inexplicably scored 2 different cards, with judge Jerin Valel scoring 30-27 in favor of Cutelaba while judge Pasquale Procopio scored the same in favor of Bukauskas.
UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz didn’t hold back on air, calling the decision “trash” and describing it as one of the worst robberies they’d ever seen. When the results for the co-main event came in, social media disputed whether the judges had gotten it right again.
With judging already under scrutiny from previous fights that night, even a close, credible victory like Shevchenko’s could not escape criticism. The fundamental issue was not whether Valentina performed enough; rather, fans no longer believed the system that graded her performance. The outrage was not restricted to commentary; fans and fighters across the sport expressed the same sentiment: something is broken, and it is beginning to show.
SHEVCHENKO. VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO 🔥
THE BULLET REMAINS THE UFC WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION WITH HER 10TH TITLE FIGHT WIN 🏆 #UFC315 pic.twitter.com/Jl1gU5lpyj
— ESPN (@espn) May 11, 2025
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It wasn’t only Cutelaba. Jose Aldo, another icon, faced what many saw as yet another judicial injustice in his bout with Aiemann Zahabi. Aldo appeared to win the early rounds, nearly finishing Zahabi with a nasty knee, but ultimately lost. So, by the time Valentina raised her hand, fans were doubting the legality of every close fight at the event, not just her victory. In fact, they stormed social media to question the outcome.
By the time Valentina Shevchenko’s hand was raised at UFC 315, the air was thick with doubt. The previous controversies, from Aldo to Cutelaba, had prepared the audience to scrutinize everything, especially when the margins were razor thin. So, when the scorecards unanimously proclaimed Shevchenko the winner of her war with Manon Fiorot, fans quickly took to social media to express their own opinions. And as expected, many did not buy what the judges were selling.
“That was not convincing at all, Robbery!” one fan remarked, expressing the feeling that the fight’s outcome did not match the performance. Another added, “Rigged. She only won two of the five rounds.” The words “What a robbery” appeared quite often, simple and cutting. Many thought Fiorot had done enough, particularly in the later stages. “I had Manon with the victory. 3-2,” one user stated.
While another went into greater detail: “Not a robbery by any means, but I had Manon 2-3-5.” To them, it was more than simply a close fight; it was a horrible call worsened by an already bad judging night. However, Shevchenko’s followers were as boisterous, arriving with receipts and bets. “Her as an underdog was eaaaaaasy money,” one user gloated, adding, “Too easy.”
There was disbelief—not over the victory, but over the odds: “The fact she was an underdog is INSANE!” They saw the former champion’s performance as more than simply enough; it was affirmation. “Best in the league!” a fan declared, ignoring the commotion and framing the victory as a reminder of Valentina’s pedigree.
With the championship defense behind her and at age 37, ‘Bullet’ may not have much time to rest. Rising star Natalia Silva has made it clear that she is the next in line. After her win at UFC 315, she said in an interview, “My eyes are set on the title. That’s what I want next. And, you know, there are even stories with both of those girls to promote this fight. You know, Valentina was asked about me one time, and she said she didn’t know who I was. So it’s about time that she knows who I am.”
Silva improved her UFC record to 7-0 by defeating Alexa Grasso at UFC 315, propelling her to the top of the women’s flyweight rankings. She’s hungry, outspoken, and fixated on gold. And if her post-fight statements are any indication, she’s already shaping the narrative. What do you think? Will we get to see the two fight? Let us know in the comments.
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