V. Shevchenko (right) defends belt against L. Camouche, in August. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook ufcbrasil
Who is used to the aggressiveness of Valentina Shevchenko, was disappointed with the fighter's performance at UFC Montevideo, this Saturday (10), in Uruguay. The athlete defended, for the second time, her flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg.) and, in a warm fight without many actions, she emerged victorious over Liz Carmouce in the judges' unanimous decision after five rounds of combat.
See too
Shevchenko was coming off a great victory over the North American Jessica Eye, over whom the Kyrgyzstani delivered a brutal knockout with a kick to the head that led to her opponent's immediate knockout. Thinking that the athlete's performance would be similar, the audience at the arena in Montevideo left frustrated with the main fight of the night.
The fight represented a rematch between the champion and Carmouche, by whom Velentina was defeated almost 10 years ago. Time passed and Shevchenko evolved as an athlete and found her opponent again as an Ultimate champion.
In the 2019 duel, the champion preferred to act on her opponent's mistake and avoid taking risks in order to keep her title without major scares. Valentina's victory broke Liz's streak of two consecutive victories, as well as representing the champion's fourth consecutive victory.
The 31-year-old Shevchenko's last defeat came against the Brazilian, Amanda nunes, in a valid dispute for the bantamweight belt (up to 61,2kg.), in 2017. A clash between the champions could happen again in the future.
The fight
The fight started with Carmouche taking the initiative and landing two low kicks on Valentina. The champion responded with a cross that hit the American in the face. Liz continued to bet on kicks, but Shevchenko was attentive and counterattacked. The Kyrgyzstani saved her strikes, thinking about the energy for a five-round fight. Her opponent, however, threw punches and kicks and most of them went unnoticed. The Uruguayan public was not satisfied with the confrontation without much action and began to boo the athletes.
In the second stage, Valentina began to loosen up and land more blows against Liz. The champion closed the distance and sought contact with her opponent. Carmouche respected Shevchenko a lot and showed caution when entering the fighter's zone of action. The public again began to express their negative opinions regarding the confrontation, but then began to applaud, trying to encourage the athletes. The fight became cold again and the combatants showed little.
As in previous rounds, the fighters showed little to the public. With few blows and few actions, the athletes remained moving in the center of the octagon. Valentina managed the advantage by releasing jabs that touched Liz's face and scored points for the champion. After three minutes of fighting, a straight left from Shevchenko knocked the challenger off balance, and she fell to the ground. The champion, however, did not want to face her opponent on the ground. After the action, Valentina looked for her opponent's legs and managed a good takedown. The fighters were hitting each other, but the horn sounded.
Using the strategy of not exposing herself so as not to make mistakes, Valentina remained safe in the fight in the penultimate stage. The Kyrgyzstani managed another takedown and continued managing the fight. After three minutes, the referee asked the athletes to return to their feet. In the final minute, Liz was almost surprised by a spinning punch from the champion, but managed to block it. The round has come to an end.
In the final round, Valentina risked some low kicks early on. Carmouche continued to fail to enter the champion's range of action. After two minutes, Liz tried to get Shevchenko's legs to take the fight to the ground. The champion defended herself well and ended up reversing the situation. On the ground, the lack of action once again angered the fans present at the Montevideo stadium.
UFC Montevideo results
MAIN CARD
Flyweight (up to 56,7kg): Valentina Shevchenko defeated Liz Carmouche via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Vincent Luque derrotou Mike Perry in the judges' split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Featherweight (up to 65,7kg): Luiz Eduardo Garagorri defeated Humberto Bandenay via unanimous decision by the judges (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Light heavyweight (up to 93kg): Volkan oezdemir derrotou Ilir Latifi by knockout at 4m31s of R2
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Rudolph Vieira defeated Oskar Piechota via submission 4m26s into R2
Featherweight (up to 65,7kg): Enrique Barzola defeated Bobby Mofett via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Welterweight (up to 77,3kg): Gilbert Durinho defeated Alexey Kunchenko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Heavy weight (up to 120,2kg): Ciryl Gane derrotou Raphael Bebezão via submission 4m12s into R1
Straw weight (up to 52,1kg): Marina Rodriguez derrotou Tecia torres in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Flyweight (up to 56,1kg): Rogerio Bontorin derrotou Raulian paiva by technical knockout at 2m26s of R1
Bantamweight (up to 61,2kg): Chris Gutierrez derrotou Geraldo de Freitas in the judges' split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Light weight (up to 70,3kg): Alex Leko defeated Rodrigo Kazula via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight (up to 56,7kg): Veronica macedo derrotou Polyana viana by submission at 1m09 of R1
Comments