Shevchenko: The champion Nunes is scared

While the growth of mixed martial arts means some fighters in the sport simply rose up in the sport itself, many come from a background in a different, older combat sport. Such was the case with Valentina Shevchenko, who has an extraordinary record in Muay Thai.

Folkstyle wrestlers compete at the collegiate level with three periods, the first of three minutes, and the second two of two minutes. As a result, wrestlers often instinctively go too hard initially, in a sport that consists of three five-minute rounds, and five five-minute rounds at for main event or championship fights.

In Muay Thai, the tradition is to hold back in the first round, and try to understand what skills the opponent has that day. The real fight begins in the second round. In a three round fight, that is not smart.

In her first UFC fight, Shevchenko lost the first round vs. Sarah Kaufman, but came back to win a Split Decision. In The Bullet’s second fight, she lost the first round vs. now division champion Amanda Nunes, and was surging in the third, but lost a unanimous decision. There was a general feeling that had the fight gone five rounds, it would be different. But it wasn’t. In Shevchenko’s third UFC fight, she again lost the first round vs. former division champion Holly Holm, and then won all four of the next rounds on all three judges cards.

Nunes watched the fight and tweeted immediately afterwards that Shevchenko should fight Julianna Pena next. Pena is on a four-fight win streak in the UFC.

I feel she needs to prove herself a little more. I think @VenezuelanVixen vs @BulletValentina. Winner comes to me

— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 24, 2016

At the post-fight press conference ‘The Bullet’ first thanked her coaches and academies, and endearing Russian tradition that the athlete centric USA might learn from. Then she was asked about a title shot.

This is what I want, this is what I want so much,” she replied. “This fight with Amanda that I had before, she won not because she was more stronger than me. I think because I gave her an opportunity to win this fight. And next fight, I know exactly I will do much better. And I know that for nobody else, I will not give one opportunity for the victory.

Later Shevchenko was asked by a Spanish language reporter to respond to Nunes’ tweet. She was not impressed, and replied in Spanish, one of at least three languages she in which she is fluent. Her response included a blunt “mierda” that the translator discretely did not translate.

She’s definitely scared, said Shevchenko, via a translator. I’m ready for five rounds, for sure. I will take whoever I need to fight next, but I think she’s definitely scared.

And that was the last word, as the UFC on FOX 20 post-fight press conference closed.