Valentina Shevchenko appears motivated to make a statement in her upcoming fight. On Saturday, Shevchenko defends her flyweight championship against Manon Fiorot in the co-main event at UFC 315. While typically respectful towards her opponents, “Bullet” has expressed reservations regarding Fiorot`s behavior.
Speaking at the UFC 315 Media Day, Shevchenko stated, “I don’t think it’s fitting to compare myself to her, as I would never treat any opponent with the level of disrespect she has shown.”
Shevchenko`s grievance with Fiorot stems from last year when “The Beast” publicly challenged her shortly after Shevchenko regained the title from Alexa Grasso at UFC 306, even suggesting she would retire “Bullet.” This was seen as unusual trash talk from the generally reserved Fiorot, which Shevchenko speculates might be due to Fiorot feeling pressure about her standing in the division.
“In my opinion, she posted that tweet a bit too early, considering I had just competed,” Shevchenko commented. “It was only a month after my fight. But I understand, she was feeling desperate. There was a slight hold-up [in her progression]. However, I believe everything ultimately played out perfectly.”
Shevchenko believes Fiorot`s unexpected trash talk is more likely to affect Fiorot herself than disturb “Bullet.”
When asked if Fiorot`s words bothered her, Shevchenko simply replied, “Nothing.” She elaborated on her long career: “My experience in martial arts spans many years. I began at five, and before joining the UFC, I was already a 17-time world champion across Muay Thai, MMA, and kickboxing. Consider the diverse personalities I`ve encountered and the things they`ve said. If everything affected me, I would never have reached my current achievements. I consider my greatest skill to be the ability to block out surrounding energy and concentrate solely on my primary objective.”
Despite her resilience, “Bullet” admitted she anticipates enjoying the moment when the cage door closes on Saturday and Fiorot must try to back up her statements. She looks forward to the challenge of humbling her opponent.
Shevchenko stated, “I appreciate it when opponents come in with such high confidence, talking about getting a finish or similar predictions. But the moment I truly enjoy is when they experience frustration inside the octagon, realizing none of their plans are working. Witnessing them break down in that moment is the most satisfying feeling.”
UFC 315 is scheduled for Saturday, May 10th, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The event is headlined by a welterweight title bout between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.
