Valentina Shevchenko proved that she is not just a striker by defeating Julianna Peña via armbar in the second round.
Valentina Shevchenko has made a name for herself as a dangerous striker. But against Julianna Pena, she was able to showcase her complete MMA game, en route to a second round armbar finish.
What was the high point of the fight?
Given her Muay Thai credentials, most people were expecting “The Bullet” to keep the fight standing. But it was her clinch game and underrated submission skills that were on point for this fight.
Shevchenko was able to beat Peña in her own game by putting on a better showing in the tie-up through her sneaky sweeps. Peña was forced to put up a tight clinch battle early in the second round, which may likely have taken a lot of her energy.
Where do these two go from here?
The fight that fans foresee as of the moment is a rematch between Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes, this time with UFC gold on the line. It has been nearly a year since the two women faced each other, and both have definitely improved massively along the way. It would be interesting to see how these versions of themselves would match-up against each other this time around.
Peña has been clamoring for the next title shot even before this fight was made. And like how it goes in the fight game, “The Venezuelan Vixen” drops back down and would need to work her way back up before even being considered for a number one contender fight. But if she does end up getting a fight against Ronda Rousey whom she has repeatedly called out, a win could prove to be a huge statement.
Watch it now, later or never?
Shevchenko’s armbar from finish the guard is something MMA fans have not seen in a while. It was superbly executed, making this fight a must-see.
Valentina Shevchenko proved that she is not just a striker by defeating Julianna Peña via armbar in the second round.
Valentina Shevchenko has made a name for herself as a dangerous striker. But against Julianna Pena, she was able to showcase her complete MMA game, en route to a second round armbar finish.
What was the high point of the fight?
Given her Muay Thai credentials, most people were expecting “The Bullet” to keep the fight standing. But it was her clinch game and underrated submission skills that were on point for this fight.
Shevchenko was able to beat Peña in her own game by putting on a better showing in the tie-up through her sneaky sweeps. Peña was forced to put up a tight clinch battle early in the second round, which may likely have taken a lot of her energy.
Where do these two go from here?
The fight that fans foresee as of the moment is a rematch between Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes, this time with UFC gold on the line. It has been nearly a year since the two women faced each other, and both have definitely improved massively along the way. It would be interesting to see how these versions of themselves would match-up against each other this time around.
Peña has been clamoring for the next title shot even before this fight was made. And like how it goes in the fight game, “The Venezuelan Vixen” drops back down and would need to work her way back up before even being considered for a number one contender fight. But if she does end up getting a fight against Ronda Rousey whom she has repeatedly called out, a win could prove to be a huge statement.
Watch it now, later or never?
Shevchenko’s armbar from finish the guard is something MMA fans have not seen in a while. It was superbly executed, making this fight a must-see.
Jorge Masvidal scored a huge stoppage win in front of Donald Cerrone’s home crowd at UFC on FOX 23.
Donald Cerrone was expecting a memorable night for his first fight in his hometown of Denver, Colorado after nearly five years. Unfortunately for him, his homecoming was spoiled by Jorge Masvidal, who won via second round TKO at UFC on FOX 23.
What was the high point of the fight?
As outstanding stand-up fighters, it was expected for both men to keep the fight on the feet. Cerrone was successful with his leg and body kicks during the opening rounds, but it was only a matter of time before Masvidal was able to predict and time them coming in.
Pretty soon, “Gamebred” was landing his counters, which almost earned him a stoppage late in the first round. He continued to carry on with the same strategy in the second, which finally gave him the win.
Where do these two go from here?
The win definitely bumps up Masvidal into the 170-pound rankings, and should be matched against a top contender. While he did not specify any name during the post-fight interview, it would be fitting to see him against a top-five welterweight.
Incurring first loss at welterweight does not mean the end for Cerrone. While losing in front of his home crowd would definitely sting, he is still very much qualified to fight someone in the top ten.
Watch it now, later or never?
It was an excellent display of stand-up fighting, showing how Masvidal contained and broke Cerrone down to pick up the victory. Definitely a must-watch.
Jorge Masvidal scored a huge stoppage win in front of Donald Cerrone’s home crowd at UFC on FOX 23.
Donald Cerrone was expecting a memorable night for his first fight in his hometown of Denver, Colorado after nearly five years. Unfortunately for him, his homecoming was spoiled by Jorge Masvidal, who won via second round TKO at UFC on FOX 23.
What was the high point of the fight?
As outstanding stand-up fighters, it was expected for both men to keep the fight on the feet. Cerrone was successful with his leg and body kicks during the opening rounds, but it was only a matter of time before Masvidal was able to predict and time them coming in.
Pretty soon, “Gamebred” was landing his counters, which almost earned him a stoppage late in the first round. He continued to carry on with the same strategy in the second, which finally gave him the win.
Where do these two go from here?
The win definitely bumps up Masvidal into the 170-pound rankings, and should be matched against a top contender. While he did not specify any name during the post-fight interview, it would be fitting to see him against a top-five welterweight.
Incurring first loss at welterweight does not mean the end for Cerrone. While losing in front of his home crowd would definitely sting, he is still very much qualified to fight someone in the top ten.
Watch it now, later or never?
It was an excellent display of stand-up fighting, showing how Masvidal contained and broke Cerrone down to pick up the victory. Definitely a must-watch.
The women’s bantamweight division crowned a new challenger for the title on Saturday night, as Valentina Shevchenko submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round armbar to likely secure a rematch with champion Amanda Nunes later this year. It was certain…
The women’s bantamweight division crowned a new challenger for the title on Saturday night, as Valentina Shevchenko submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round armbar to likely secure a rematch with champion Amanda Nunes later this year. It was certainly a shocking way for Shevchenko to finish the fight, considering that she’s best known as a prolific striker, but Pena was relentless in her efforts to get the fight to the ground. Actually, Pena nearly locked up an armbar submission of her own at the end of the first round, but the roles were reversed as Shevchenko secured the hold late in the … Read the Full Article Here
Valentina Shevchenko delivered a huge win on a national stage this evening (Sat., January 28, 2017) when she submitted top-ranked contender Julianna Pena (watch full video highlights here) in the main event of UFC on FOX 23 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. After her biggest victory, Shevchenko immediately called out for her rematch with
Valentina Shevchenko delivered a huge win on a national stage this evening (Sat., January 28, 2017) when she submitted top-ranked contender Julianna Pena (watch full video highlights here) in the main event of UFC on FOX 23 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
After her biggest victory, Shevchenko immediately called out for her rematch with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who was in attendance in Denver tonight. The two elite women originally met on the main card of last March’s UFC 196, with Nunes outlasting Shevchenko by decision despite fading majorly in the last round.
Many believe ‘Bullet’ would have easily turned the tables and won the fight if it was a five-round affair, which it obviously will be when they presumably meet in the next title fight. To get pumped up for the fight, which should be one of the most anticipated UFC bouts of 2017, watch their post-fight staredown tonight, where neither woman was willing to give any ground, right here:
Little by little, Valentina Shevchenko’s MMA game peels away new layers, exposing a mastery far beyond what reveals itself in any cursory viewing. She can fight in and out, fast and slow. She can box and wrestle. She’s sharp and tactical.
If there is a…
Little by little, Valentina Shevchenko’s MMA game peels away new layers, exposing a mastery far beyond what reveals itself in any cursory viewing. She can fight in and out, fast and slow. She can box and wrestle. She’s sharp and tactical.
If there is any issue for Shevchenko, it’s her size. She is a natural flyweight, but that’s a division the UFC does not have for women, so she fights on and manages to excel one class above where she should be.
She is so good, in fact, that her ultimate bantamweight destination is to be the division’s champion. After Shevchenko beat Julianna Pena on Saturday at UFC on Fox, the only one standing between her and destiny is champion Amanda Nunes.
Nunes, the same fighter who beat her once before, but who she dominated in the third round of their bout after the Brazilian ran out of gas. The next time they meet, it will be for five rounds. More time for Shevchenko to implement her fight IQ, her complete game, her stamina.
Shevchenko will almost certainly get the opportunity to face Nunes again after submitting Pena with a second-round armbar victory in Denver. She will almost certainly win.
More on that later.
Saturday night was a crowning moment in itself, another one to follow her recent defeat of former 135-pound champ Holly Holm, a woman who is big enough to soon be fighting for the inaugural featherweight belt.
This one was notable because it was different—the method of victory coming as a surprise that fully highlights Shevchenko’s complete skill set.
It had been years since she had tapped out an opponent. In fact, she hadn’t pulled off the trick in a full decade, since tying up Yulia Nemtsova in an Ezekiel choke in March 2006.
In the time since, she’s mostly been viewed as a stand-up stylist who displays technical muay thai and poise.
While it has been clear that her game has been rounding out, the close of the fight was a master’s trap; the finish both measured and sharp. After spending over a minute on her back with Pena in her guard, she trapped Pena’s right arm with her own, shifted her hips and completed the arm lock.
It was a checkmate kind of moment, one predicated on ring smarts over sheer aggression.
“I don’t know what you guys thought, but I thought if the fight stays standing, Shevchenko wins all day,” UFC President Dana White said in the post-fight press conference. “If it goes to the ground, Julianna Pena was going to submit her or ground-and-pound her or something. You never know. Shevchenko proved us wrong, that she’s a very well-rounded mixed martial artist, and that she’s ready for a title fight. Stylistically, I think it’s a very fun fight with these two.”
It will be, and Shevchenko should be considered the favorite in the bout due to Nunes’ propensity for fading as fights go on. She has fast hands and crushing power, but both of those attributes have proved to be temporary weapons.
Witness, for instance, the third round of their first bout. Final strike count of the third round? Shevchenko 17, Nunes three. And those FightMetric numbers aren’t a one-off mirage. Nunes landed zero in the final round against Cat Zingano—a fight she dominated early before losing via third-round stoppage. It was a similar story against Alexis Davis several years ago.
If Nunes begins to struggle around the 10-minute mark, 25 will seem like an eternity. In that kind of fight, you have to pick Shevchenko.
Her success feels like something of a throwback to earlier MMA, when there were clear distinctions between skill and size, and the former could make up for a lack of the latter. All these years later, the gap has mostly closed, and it’s the rare athlete who can continually succeed while being undersized.
Yet that’s exactly what Shevchenko is doing, much like Demetrious Johnson did in the men’s bantamweight division before the UFC instituted his natural weight class, flyweight, allowing him to dominate. Even fighting up, Johnson came within a couple of rounds of winning the belt.
Shevchenko can go one step further later this year.
Of course, she will have to play everything just right. Nunes’ explosion is not to be ignored, but the same could have been said aboutHolm and Pena, who often fights with an intensity that makes it seem like there is something personal at stake. What she lacks in proficiency, she makes up for with aggression. Yet that kind of approach usually only works up to a certain level.
Pena found the dividing line Saturday, and early. After trapping Shevchenko against the fence in the opening minutes of the first, she threw a series of knees. However, Shevchenko recognized the pattern, caught one in the series and used it to sweep Pena’s left leg, scoring a takedown.
Moments later, she did the same thing.
In that moment, it was easy to get the feeling that they were playing on two different planes of enlightenment.
“You know I can say exactly about Pena, she’s good fighter,” Shevchenko said in the press conference. “She’s wild. But I’m a master.”
With each passing round, she’s proving that to be true.
Always undersized and often outgunned, Shevchenko is something to see. And by the end of the next time we see her, she may have proof of her mastery strapped in gold around her waist.
