Shevchenko: Rematch result will be the same

UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas defeated former titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in November. A rematch has been scheduled for UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York on April 7, 2018, and Jedrzejczyk is a two to one favorite. However, the #1 ranked women’s bantamweight Valentina Shevchenko thinks the bettors have it wrong. And Shevchenko defeated Jedrzejczyk three times in kickboxing, so it would be to her advantage to argue that Joanna Violence is the best.

I do not think it will be a different result, said Shevchenko to Peter Carroll for MMA Fighting. Of course, it will be different because Joanna will prepare herself stronger, but at the same time, Rose will prepare stronger as well. I expect it to be a very hard fight, but I think the result will be the same.

In every fight any fighter has, they learn from the experiences that they have. Joanna is a very good fighter and she is very strong and she showed that to everyone by being champion for a few years. This is Rose’s time now. I really think she will be a very good champion at strawweight for a long time.”

Namajunas and her longtime boyfriend and supporter Pat Barry appeared recently on the JRE MMA Show podcast and said training with Shevchenko was on the best things ‘Thug’ Rose did to prepare for Namajunas.

I feel very happy that it was so good for both us and I was glad to be a part of that victory,” said Shevchenko. “Not only am I happy, but my coaches and my sisters are so happy that Rose is champion because we tried to help as much as we could.

They are very good people; true martial artists. Like me, Rose started martial arts at a very young age. When you are doing something for a long time and you’re moving towards your goal, and then you gain it, it’s the best feeling in the world.