UFC 213 Predictions – Amanda Nunes Vs. Valentina Shevchenko

The main card of UFC 213 comes from an unlikely source – the women’s Bantamweight division. This is will unquestionably be the fight that everyone is going to be tuning in for, the highlight of the evening. Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are both gifted fighters that have worked incredibly hard to be at the […]

The main card of UFC 213 comes from an unlikely source – the women’s Bantamweight division. This is will unquestionably be the fight that everyone is going to be tuning in for, the highlight of the evening. Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are both gifted fighters that have worked incredibly hard to be at the level that they find themselves in today and they both deserve the spot light for sure. However, the night can only belong to one of them! The big question is – who is going to come out on top? The records as they stand are Amanda Nunes (14 – 4) and Valentina Shevchenko (14 -2 ).

Neither of these women have, however, been in the limelight for long. During this time two years ago, Nunes was just getting back up on her feet after being knocked out by Cat Zingano and Valentina Shevchenko was travelling the world fighting anywhere and everywhere that she was given the opportunity, still very green behind the ears.

How times have changed! Nunes has risen to the top almost explosively after back to back knockouts against the likes of Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. In fact, Nunes is so well known because she really gave the one and only Ronda Rousey’s career a deathblow. Valentina Shevchenko on the other end of the octagon, in her own right, has triumphed against Holly Holm and Julianna Pena.

However, it is plain to see that Valentina Shevchenko has more gas in the tank and we think that will be especially advantageous considering that this fight will consist of five rounds and not three. Our pick here would be Valentina Shevchenko by unanimous decision.

Amanda Nunes Focused on Beating Valentina Shevchenko Clean

Amanda Nunes doesn’t have a finish over Valentina Shevchenko as a top priority. The first time Nunes and Shevchenko met, “The Lioness” took a unanimous decision victory. When they compete on July 8 at UFC 213, Nunes’ women’s bantamweight title will be on the line. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, the champion said she isn’t too concerned […]

Amanda Nunes doesn’t have a finish over Valentina Shevchenko as a top priority. The first time Nunes and Shevchenko met, “The Lioness” took a unanimous decision victory. When they compete on July 8 at UFC 213, Nunes’ women’s bantamweight title will be on the line. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, the champion said she isn’t too concerned […]

UFC 213 Countdown Full Videos

Following a week off, the UFC rolls head-on into their packed summer event schedule with next weekend’s (Sat., July 8, 2017) UFC 213 pay-per-view (PPV) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, surging women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will take on top contender Valentina Shevchenko in a rematch of their initial […]

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Following a week off, the UFC rolls head-on into their packed summer event schedule with next weekend’s (Sat., July 8, 2017) UFC 213 pay-per-view (PPV) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the main event, surging women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will take on top contender Valentina Shevchenko in a rematch of their initial UFC 196 meeting where “The Lioness” emerged with a close decision victory to earn a bout with then-champion Miesha Tate. Nunes won that bout by shockingly dominating Tate, and then finished off the early stateswomen of the UFC’s initial foray into women’s MMA by running through former dominant champion Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds at last December’s UFC 207.

“Bullet” has racked up quite the impressive record of her own in the octagon, getting back in the win column by soundly defeating the woman who singlehandedly changed the trajectory of the UFC women’s landscape in Holly Holm at UFC on FOX 20 before submitting previously streaking contender Julianna Pena with a picture-perfect armbar at UFC on FOX 23 in January.

The rematch between the two best 135-pound women in MMA figures to be a closely-contested affair that reflects the purest look at MMA, and the UFC for that matter, with a surging champion taking on the clear top contender, and a rival to boot, in the main bout of UFC 213. Watch the full UFC 213 Countdown video for Nunes vs. Shevchenko II right here:

In the co-main, arguably the two best middleweights in the world will face off when Yoel Romero meets Robert Whittaker for the interim championship with champion Michael Bisping doing exactly the opposite of what the main event represents, at least according to many UFC fans.

“The Count” has been out of action since having knee surgery following a close decision win over then No. 14-ranked – and retiring – MMA legend Dan Henderson at UFC 204 last October, and even though he needs to heal up, he continues to chase a huge payday in the form of a title fight versus all-time great Georges St-Pierre, who has never fought at 185 pounds in his historic career.

With Bisping picking and choosing his fights, the surging Romero, who’s knocked off Chris Weidman, Jacare Souza, Lyoto Machida, and Tim Kennedy during a seven-fight win streak in the octagon, will battle a man whom many feel has the most momentum at 185 pounds in TUF: The Smashes winner Whittaker, who knocked out Souza and Derek Brunson to storm into title contender status. Watch the full Countdown video for the anticipated co-headliner right here:

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Valentina Shevchenko Says Nunes is Helpless When The Door Closes

Valentina Shevchenko intends on taking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gold and finishing Amanda Nunes in the process. Shevchenko will battle Nunes a second time on Saturday night (July 8) inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title bout will serve as UFC 213‘s main event. The co-headliner will see Yoel Romero and Robert […]

Valentina Shevchenko intends on taking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gold and finishing Amanda Nunes in the process. Shevchenko will battle Nunes a second time on Saturday night (July 8) inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The title bout will serve as UFC 213‘s main event. The co-headliner will see Yoel Romero and Robert […]

That Time Amanda Nunes Smashed Ronda Rousey in Under a Minute

It’s hard to imagine, but this time a year ago, Amanda Nunes was entering a bantamweight title fight as a challenger.
She was down on the card beneath names like Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones at UFC 200, ready to do battle with Miesha Tate at a time when …

It’s hard to imagine, but this time a year ago, Amanda Nunes was entering a bantamweight title fight as a challenger.

She was down on the card beneath names like Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones at UFC 200, ready to do battle with Miesha Tate at a time when it looked like Tate was just rounding into her own as a championship-level fighter.

Then some unusual turns of fate saw Nunes closing both the event and Tate’s title reign, obliterating the champion and setting up a date with Ronda Rousey for late 2016.

Rousey was to return from a sabbatical imposed by the left shin of Holly Holm at UFC 193, ready to emerge from the shadows after a year in exile to reclaim her place atop the women’s 135-pound mountain.

December 30 was the date. UFC 207 was the event.

And that’s about all that went right for Rousey.

After some promotion that was so bizarre and stagnant as to almost border on antipromotion, Rousey stepped into the cage with Nunes with her trademark scowl and snorting intact. She passed the eye test, but once the bout started, it was clear that was the only test she would pass.

Nunes stalked Rousey from the opening bell, totally disrespecting the hands she’d tirelessly worked with coach Edmond Tarverdyan and disrupting the clinch work and bullying tactics she’d tirelessly worked since her years as an Olympic judoka.

At every turn, Nunes flustered Rousey, finally landing one big shot that changed the complexion of the fight. She then landed many more, sending Rousey flailing across the cage and chasing her down to deliver more punishment.

Though she never put her opponent on her behind, referee Herb Dean called a stop to the bout after only 48 seconds, with Rousey limply standing wasted against the cage.

UFC 213 on Saturday marks Nunes’ first defense since that dominant, star-making showcase. She’ll fight Valentina Shevchenko, over whom she already holds a win, in the main event.

Win or lose, though, everyone will always remember that time she did a number on the most famous player in the game and sent her reeling into retirement.

Check out the fight below.

      

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Valentina Shevchenko Is ‘Pretty Sure’ She’ll Finish Amanda Nunes At UFC 213

Valentina Shevchenko is feeling very confident in her ability to finish Amanda Nunes come fight night at UFC 213. The pair met initially back at 196 last year, where Nunes took home a unanimous decision win over “The Bullet.” After that fight, “The Lioness” went on to defeat two of the biggest names in female […]

The post Valentina Shevchenko Is ‘Pretty Sure’ She’ll Finish Amanda Nunes At UFC 213 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Valentina Shevchenko is feeling very confident in her ability to finish Amanda Nunes come fight night at UFC 213.

The pair met initially back at 196 last year, where Nunes took home a unanimous decision win over “The Bullet.” After that fight, “The Lioness” went on to defeat two of the biggest names in female mixed martial arts (MMA) history, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.

Shevchenko embarked on a nice two-fight winning streak of her own, defeating both Holly Holm and Julianna Pena. Now the pair are set to headline the UFC’s 213 pay-per-view (PPV) event next week (Sat. July 8, 2017) with Nunes’ bantamweight title on the line.

Recently, Shevchenko did a media scrum to promote the upcoming event and commented on her first fight with Nunes. Shevchenko stated that she believes if she were given a few more minutes the first time around with Nunes, she would have finished the Brazilian (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“It’s very sad that I could not finish that time because of time,” Shevchenko said. “Maybe one minute more, it would be different. But I’m pretty sure this time I will finish her as soon as I can.”

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Nunes has been very as of late by issuing a ton of trash-talk towards Shevchenko in the lead-up to their bout, but “Bullet” feels that her experience with Julianna Pena has helped her prepare for this:

“If I don’t say nothing bad about my opponent, it doesn’t mean that my opponents never say it,” Shevchenko said. “Because I had that experience when Julianna Peña was talking some kinds of the same things.

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter for me nothing. Because really the one thing that matters is fight. And when the door is closed, no one will help her.”

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