T. Santos (left) put up a tough fight, but lost to V. Shevchenko (right) on points. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ufcespanol
Today's most dominant champion, Valentina Shevchenko had his biggest challenge since moving down to flyweight (up to 56,7 kg) in UFC 275, in June, when it surpassed Taila Santos in a split decision by the judges after a five-round battle to defend the division belt for the seventh time.
Despite the victory and title defense, many fans, analysts and even potential division rivals understand that the “war” against Taila Santos may have, in some way, exposed some holes, previously undetectable, in the game of Valentina Shevchenko. The champion, however, disagrees.
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“I think everything is the same as before. They can think what they want, but it's one thing to pretend they know and another thing to be inside the Octagon, try and make it happen. They can try, but it will never work because I will always find a way to win, keep winning and defend my flyweight belt”, said Valentina during her participation in “MMA Hour”, a podcast on the North American website “MMA Fighting”.
For Valentina Shevchenko, the fight against Taila Santos It served, in fact, to show his strengths and not his weaknesses.
“It was a good fight. Taila is a good, strong opponent. I'm glad it was a fight that challenged me. I'm happy that I was able to prove that no matter what happens, I can overcome any kind of situation. It's not just about technique, it's about the mental game, about being tough. No matter what or how, you have to find a way to win the fight. That’s my mentality and I’m happy that I was able to show that”, analyzed the champion.
Many analysts, including the former champion Daniel Cormier, point out an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round, which “closed” one of the Taila Santos, as one of the great turning points in favor of Valentina Shevchenko in the duel. The champion, once again, disagrees and minimizes the effects of the accidental collision.
“I don’t think it affected her much. I think what affected it was a combination of all the punches I threw, because I saw it on replay and the clash of heads was accidental. It could go either way. It could affect her or me since no one is wearing head protection. But it wasn’t a big deal,” she concluded.
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