Shevchenko defends scoring vs. Santos: Damage 'counts the most' in MMA

Valentina Shevchenko had the closest fight of her title reign at UFC 275, but the women's flyweight champion thinks she clearly won in terms of impactful offense.

Shevchenko beat Taila Santos by split decision in Saturday's co-main event, recording her seventh title defense. Santos became the first fighter to win a scorecard against Shevchenko since "Bullet" won the belt in 2018.

While Santos racked up an impressive amount of control time on the ground, damage weighs heavier in the MMA scoring criteria. Shevchenko said the judges' decision reflects that.

"She kind of was inactive," Shevchenko said at the postfight press conference, according to MMA Fighting. "And me being even in that position (with Santos on my back), I was striking. I felt the power of the strikes, and I felt how she reacted because it was hurting her.

"This is what counts the most in mixed martial arts: damage. And through the fight, going from round to round, you could see more damage showing on her face."

The most adversity Shevchenko had faced as champ before Saturday was losing one round to Jennifer Maia in 2020. Four of Shevchenko's seven title defenses are finishes.

Even though she isn't used to challenging fights, the 34-year-old said Santos' efforts didn't catch her off guard, and at no point did she believe she was in danger.

"It was everything that we were looking into her previous fight. She did exactly the same what she was doing," Shevchenko said. "Nothing surprised me."