“We’re going to have to have a rematch,” the head of the organization said at a press conference in Las Vegas. “We’re going to do it – it’s the right thing to do. It’s a fight that has to happen, yes.”
White also spoke out about referee Mike Bell’s decision to give the fifth round to Grasso by a score of 10-8, which denied Shevchenko the fight victory.
“I was on vacation when it happened. When I realized that one of the judges gave it a 10-8, I thought the guy should have been held accountable for that. There was a knockdown in the second round and it wasn’t 10-8 there, but here it’s 10-8? That’s the craziest de***o I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I spoke to the Athletic Commission people – they have a seminar scheduled for tomorrow where the main topic will be the 10-8 scoring, which is very relevant in light of the title fight that took place where so much was at stake. On a personal note, I was assured that the judge is not a bad guy and that he just made a mistake. He just screwed up and made a mistake, and that’s unfortunate. There just couldn’t have been a 10-8 score in that round.”
The women’s flyweight title fight, which headlined UFC Fight Night 227 in Las Vegas last weekend, went the full distance and ended in a split decision draw with scores of 48-47, 47-48 and 47-47. In doing so, referee Mike Bell effectively decided the fate of the fight, giving Grasso the last round by a score of 10-8 for a final score of 47-47.
The fight took place six months after the Mexican made one of the most high-profile upsets in mixed martial arts history, finishing “Bullet” with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round and taking the championship belt away from her.