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Valentina Shevchenko Is Built For Big Moments
Former Flyweight Champion Looks To Reclaim Her Belt And Conclude The Trilogy Against Alexa Grasso At UFC 306
Valentina Shevchenko has experienced a plethora of big moments since she made her UFC debut in 2015. One of those moments was being a part of the first event with fans after the COVID-19 pandemic, where she successfully defended her flyweight title against Jéssica Andrade.
This Saturday, she gets to be a part of once in a lifetime opportunity inside Sphere in Las Vegas for UFC 306: O’Malley vs Dvalishvili.
Order UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili
“It being the first event in Sphere, it's never happened before, so it's a huge event,” Shevchenko said. “It has a very special meaning. It's the same feeling when I fought in the first event after the pandemic in Jacksonville and the atmosphere in there, it was electrifying, huge. I expect it to be even bigger be in the Sphere.”
Even though it’s going to be an unforgettable night, Shevchenko probably won’t let it all sink in until after everything is all said and done.
“When I go into the fight, I have a tunnel vision” Shevchenko said. “I don't see what's happening around. I don't see anyone’s face. I don't see anything. I barely hear people, so it's hard for me to imagine. But looking back when you see how it was on the tape, it's kind of like being in there and you understand how huge the event was.”
Since she lost her belt to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 last March, Shevchenko has been on a hunt to get it back. She won the belt back in 2018, after defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and went on to become the most dominant champion the women’s flyweight division has seen, successfully defending her belt seven times.
WATCH: Grasso vs Shevchenko 1 | Grasso vs Shevchenko 2
Six months after Shevchenko lost to Grasso, the two ran it back in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day during Noche UFC. The outcome is one that is still being talked about today, as the fight ended in a split draw, meaning that Grasso still kept her belt. Of course, the result stung for Shevchenko, but it fueled her even more heading into their third fight. And she feels all the more confident knowing the gameplan she had last time worked.
“Our previous fight, I won that fight and only because of an interesting decision of one judge, it went to the draw decision,” Shevchenko said. “If you ask the world of martial arts, everyone who understands fighting, all the judges and everything, they definitely saw me win in the fight. I think it's good for everyone and you see me winning on the second fight, so it's kind of like stick to the same game plan, do the same thing, be myself and win the fight.”
Even though losing the belt isn’t easy, Shevchenko knows that the path she is in on will bring her back to being champion. And that starts with building a team around you that also has that same belief.
“True supporters, they understand the truth and they’re with you, no matter what,” Shevchenko said. “A champion's mindset is to follow your way, follow your path in this world and if you know your path and what you have to do, it's easy because no matter what's happening around you, every time you are going to stick to one plan.”
RELATED: Alexa Grasso | Hard Work, Not Magic
After the last fight concluded, Shevchenko and Grasso went on to coach season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter. A lot of times we see the bad blood continue to rise between coaches such as Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, but that wasn’t the case for these two.
“I've been in martial arts all my life already, 31 years in training,” Shevchenko said. “For me, martial arts is more than just a fight, it's more than just a show; it's my life, it's my lifestyle and I respect my opponents. I respect everyone.”
Shevchenko has never been one to look past opponents, and that’s once again the case as she prepares to close this chapter with Grasso. But one thing is for sure, she’s coming to get her belt back.
“A huge mistake of many fighters, they start to plan like five years, ten years ahead, but if you think about five years, it's a long time. Five years ago is 2019, which is when I first had my belt. If I were to look back and see what is going to happen in five years, I never would have imagined what is going to happen. Let's focus on what is waiting for us in the near future.”
UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili took place live from Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 14, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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