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Taila Santos “Expected More Hardships” In Title Fight With Valentina Shevchenko: “In The End It Was Easier”

Taila Santos was satisfied with her performance in the title fight with Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275. Reigning UFC women’s flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko seemed invincible going into her most recent outing against Taila Santos, who came in as the biggest underdog ‘Bullet’ had faced in a title match. Shevchenko had been dominant in her […]

Taila Santos was satisfied with her performance in the title fight with Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275.

Reigning UFC women’s flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko seemed invincible going into her most recent outing against Taila Santos, who came in as the biggest underdog ‘Bullet’ had faced in a title match. Shevchenko had been dominant in her run at the top and was expected to handily dispatch Santos just like her previous opponents.

However, Santos turned out to be Shevchenko’s toughest test. The 29-year-old Brazilian appeared to be ahead on the scorecards in the first two rounds before a clash of heads diminished her vision from the right eye. Shevchenko would manage to come out on top in a razor-thin split decision win.

Taila Santos expected her fight with Valentina Shevchenko to be more difficult

In an interview with Combate, Taila Santos shared her thoughts on the bout. Santos expected Shevchenko to be more difficult but was pleasantly surprised to see how competitive the fight was. Although she didn’t dethrone the dominant champion, she took away the aura of invincibility Shevchenko had prior to the event, and for that, Santos is happy with her performance.

“I was surprised by how easy it was. I was expecting the fight to be much harder in some areas. That’s what I wanted to show, though. That’s she’s not this monster, this unbeatable girl that the other girls were thinking. I respected her, she has had the belt for years now, so I prepared really well. I was ready to solve the puzzle.”

“I was surprised, because I thought it was going to be hard to take her down.” Santos said. “I thought it would be hard to impose my will, because she’s a really smart girl. In the end, it was easier than I had anticipated. When we went to the fence, I was able to take her down really easily. I was able to take her back and dominate her. That’s what surprised me. I expected more hardships. but in the end it was easier.” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Shevchenko Shares Theory On Why Santos Performed Well At UFC 275

Valentina Shevchenko was given a real run for her money at UFC 275 by Taila Santos this past weekend. Shevchenko successfully retained her 125-pound title over Santos via split decision in a very close bout. Santos looked as dominant as anyone ever has against Shevchenko inside the Octagon, but it still wasn’t enough. Speaking at…

Continue Reading Shevchenko Shares Theory On Why Santos Performed Well At UFC 275 at MMA News.

Valentina Shevchenko was given a real run for her money at UFC 275 by Taila Santos this past weekend.

Shevchenko successfully retained her 125-pound title over Santos via split decision in a very close bout. Santos looked as dominant as anyone ever has against Shevchenko inside the Octagon, but it still wasn’t enough.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Shevchenko reflected on the contest, and what, if anything, surprised “Bullet” about her counterpart’s performance. She noted that Santos’ weight was certainly a factor inside the Octagon.

“Weight, it was kind of (noticeable) that she was big. And I don’t know, maybe it’s the structure we have here, kind of like two nights after the weigh-in to replenish the food, to gain more weight.

“Because coming into this fight, into the arena, my weight was 130 pounds. And I didn’t gain almost nothing. And she looked like (she) was kind of like bigger. Maybe this was why she had a little bit more success (on the mat).”

Santos took Shevchenko down on several occasions throughout the fight, holding dominant position and attempting several submissions.

However, Shevchenko argues that she was the more active fighter on the ground despite being on bottom, and doesn’t think Santos did enough to win those rounds despite her position.

“But still, like I mentioned, she was not active — even just holding position, but being not active, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna win the fight. Me being on the ground, being on the other position, I (was) constantly striking, striking, striking, and working towards the victory.”

What do you make of Valentina Shevchenko and her comments on her win over Taila Santos? Let us know in the comments!

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Taila Santos After Valentina Shevchenko Fight: “She’s Not All That”

UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko didn’t bring anything to UFC 275 that Taila Santos hadn’t seen before. Shevchenko earned a split decision win over Santos in the UFC 275 co-headliner. But many fans and pundits felt that Santos did enough to earn the win on the scorecards and also had Shevchenko in a near submission…

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UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko didn’t bring anything to UFC 275 that Taila Santos hadn’t seen before.

Shevchenko earned a split decision win over Santos in the UFC 275 co-headliner. But many fans and pundits felt that Santos did enough to earn the win on the scorecards and also had Shevchenko in a near submission early on in the fight.

Shevchenko had earned relatively lopsided wins in her past few flyweight title defenses, but Santos brought the toughest test of her 125lb career. Santos didn’t allow Shevchenko to dictate the pace of the fight and matched up well with the flyweight champion on the feet and ground.

During a recent interview on MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast, Santos explained how she wasn’t caught off guard by anything Shevchenko presented.

“Everybody sees her as this monster, the boogeyman,” Santos said. “After I fought her, I could see she’s not all that, you know? She’s very tough and intelligent, of course, but nothing abnormal. I felt very confident. I didn’t feel any supernatural power. The way people talked about this woman, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I won’t be able to take her down.’ I imposed my takedowns and managed to do everything I wanted. I expected [more from her]. It was easy to [take her down] and get her back. I expected it to be tougher.”

UFC President Dana White warned fans not to sleep on Santos ahead of her fight with Shevchenko. Despite being relatively unknown to the majority of the audience, Santos won the fight on a lot of fans’ scorecards.

A Shevchenko vs. Santos rematch could certainly be in the cards next. But former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will also make her flyweight debut at UFC 276 against Lauren Murphy and a win could give her the next shot.

It’s unclear what’s next for Shevchenko and Santos, but, certainly, Santos isn’t intimidated by Shevchenko’s skillset.

What were your thoughts on Taila Santos’ performance against Valentina Shevchenko?

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Miesha Tate Wanted Valentina Shevchenko To Look “Unbeatable” Against Taila Santos At UFC 275: “I Already Knew I Could Do That”

Miesha Tate believes she can dethrone Valentina Shevchenko. This past weekend, UFC women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defended her title against the challenger Taila Santors at UFC 275. ‘Bullet’ looked dominant as ever going into the bout on an eight-fight win streak. However, Santos snapped her commanding reign with a competitive performance that many argued […]

Miesha Tate believes she can dethrone Valentina Shevchenko.

This past weekend, UFC women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defended her title against the challenger Taila Santors at UFC 275. ‘Bullet’ looked dominant as ever going into the bout on an eight-fight win streak. However, Santos snapped her commanding reign with a competitive performance that many argued to be enough to get the nod.

Although Santos did not beat Shevchenko, who managed to come out on top by a split decision, Miesha Tate believes she exposed a weakness in the flyweight queen’s game.

Miesha Tate believes she can win against Valentina Shevchenko

In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, ‘Cupcake’ talked about Shevchenko’s recent showing and said that she’d already identified the weak spots in her abilities during the Jennifer Maia fight in November 2020.

“When I saw Jennifer Maia get on top position, which was actually an error of Valentina’s… She was trying to get a takedown and slipped and ended on bottom. It also happened in the fight with Santos,” Tate said. “I just remember seeing Jennifer Maia hold her down and at that time, I never saw myself fighting at 125, so it didn’t really matter to me. But now, I watch that fight, I was absolutely salivating.”

Tate wanted to be the first one to definitively challenge Shevchenko.

“It was almost frustrating to see because for me, selfishly, I wanted to be the first one to say, like, ‘I knew this could be done.’ But now, people kind of see it.”

After Santos proved to be a tough challenge, Tate believes a similar performance against Shevchenko might not get her the same props.

“I didn’t want Valentina to look any less indestructible. I wanted her to stay where everybody thought she was so unbeatable because I already knew I could do that,” she said. “For me, it’s kind of like, ah, it’s been shown. “Now, people are going to believe in me more to be able to do it. I didn’t want that. I wanted to be the massive underdog. I wanted everybody to count me out.

“I wanted nobody to think Miesha Tate, five years retired, two kids, coming back 2-1 in the UFC, would be able to take out Valentina Shevchenko. But now, I think people can see a little bit of what I’ve been saying holds some water. I don’t know if that benefits me, but either way, the game plan hasn’t changed.”

Shevchenko named Tate during the post-fight scrum as a potential next opponent. Tate shared her thoughts on being called out by name by the champion.

“I know that she wants to fight me – it’s no secret,” she said. “I feel like everybody wants to fight me. I’m the uncrowned queen. I’ve got the target on my back almost as big as any champion.

“Everybody wants to take out the ‘Cupcake.’ But we’re going to get it done on July 2, and I think Valentina and I will lock horns. That’s the plan.”

Miesha Tate will take on Lauren Murphy at UFC 276 on July 2 in her flyweight debut.

Do you believe Miesha Tate will be able to snatch the gold from Valentina Shevchenko?

Shevchenko Claims Santos Fight Was “Exactly” What She Wanted

Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko is satisfied after passing the toughest test of her title reign at UFC 275. Speaking at the post-fight press conference following her split-decision win over Taila Santos, the 34-year-old claimed the fight went exactly how she was hoping. “I did everything that I had to do,” Shevchenko said. “I had…

Continue Reading Shevchenko Claims Santos Fight Was “Exactly” What She Wanted at MMA News.

Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko is satisfied after passing the toughest test of her title reign at UFC 275.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference following her split-decision win over Taila Santos, the 34-year-old claimed the fight went exactly how she was hoping.

“I did everything that I had to do,” Shevchenko said. “I had a (challenging) fight, and I (went the) distance, five rounds. And this is exactly what I wanted: an opponent who (was) not giving up from the first second, going to the end.”

The champion went on to explain the value of facing a challenger that pushed her the way Santos did.

“And in this kind of fight, you can really show what you’re made of: your character, your mindset. You kinda get what is yours: victory, no matter how hard, no matter how difficult. It’s showing who you are. So I’m happy.”

Shevchenko Explains Why Judges Scored The Fight In Her Favor

Shevchenko’s seventh title defense was easily her most challenging. Santos was able to use her wrestling to control “Bullet” for large periods of the bout and even threaten for submissions.

According to the 34-year-old, there was never any real danger of her being finished.

“Nothing surprised me. And I really didn’t have any position — even when she was on my back, I didn’t feel trouble, kinda like, ‘Oh, my god. This is tight,’ and you have to work on your character to escape this.”

The scoring of the bout drew some controversy online, but Shevchenko echoed a sentiment that has been a regular headline in the MMA world as of late: damage is of greater value than position.

“And more than that, she kind of was inactive. And me, even being in that position, I was striking. And I (felt) the power of the strike, and I felt how she (reacted) because it was hurting her. And this is what counts the most in mixed martial arts: damage. And through the fight, going from round to round, you can see more damage showing on her face, more and more. And this is kind of like, no matter what position, you have to work your job.”

Serving as the co-main event of UFC 275, Shevchenko’s victory over Santos was the only bout of the event’s main card to go the distance.

The main event’s light heavyweight title fight looked like it was also bound for a decision, but challenger Ji?í Procházka snatched a submission with less than 30 seconds left and forced a tap from champion Glover Teixeira.

What do you think of Shevchenko’s comments about her fight with Taila Santos?

Continue Reading Shevchenko Claims Santos Fight Was “Exactly” What She Wanted at MMA News.

Taila Santos Surgery Needed For Broken Orbital Bone After a Clash of Heads At UFC 275 With Valentina Shevchenko

After an insane performance at UFC 275, it has been confirmed that Taila Santos will need surgery for a broken orbital bone she sustained during her fight with Valentina Shevchenko after an accidental clash of heads. UFC 275 was a ridiculously great night of fights, but few fighters if any proved themselves more than Santos […]

UFC 275 was a ridiculously great night of fights, but few fighters if any proved themselves more than Santos did in her fight with ‘The Bullet’. It was a combination of striking success and grappling domination, but one thing was for certain. Taila Santos was on fire.

However, the judges saw it differently and Valentina Shevchenko was awarded the decision victory after a full five rounds and 25-minutes of intensity. Santos was ushered to the hospital, where doctors discovered the broken bone and informed Santos and her team that surgery would in fact be inevitable.

Taila Santos Surgery Confirmed By Management, and What’s Next for the Flyweight Division?

Tiago Okamura, Santos’ manager, spoke to MMA Fighting about the situation:

“We had two options,” Okamura began. “To have surgery here, and God knows how long we’d have to stay how (long) the recovery would take, or wait two weeks for the swelling to reduce a little bit and then have the surgery.”

“The doctors said the long flight (back to Santos’ country of Brazil) would not be a problem, and we would have a better support (system) back home, since (Santos) would only stay with one person (in Singapore).”

Taila Santos (19-2, 4-2 UFC) gave the flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko more trouble than anybody has in recent memory. ‘The Bullet’ kept finding herself being taken down, and the Brazilian would find crafty ways to threaten submissions, take the back, and transition.

It was indeed the biggest challenge of Shevchenko’s career minus maybe the Amanda Nunes fights, but still, that is not bad company for Taila Santos’ name to be around.

What’s the Future of the Women’s UFC Flyweight Division?

So, what’s next for Valentina Shevchenko and the flyweight division? Well, it may be too soon to say. One thing that’s for certain is that Santos did look impressive enough to maybe even be worthy of an instant rematch. And if not, then things aren’t very open right now.

Top contenders in the top five have fights booked already. Katlyn Chookagian is #2 ranked in the world, but she’s already lost to Shevchenko and has a fight against #3 ranked Manon Fiorot scheduled.

The only fighter that’s ranked in the top ten and doesn’t have a match currently booked (who already hasn’t lost to ‘The Bullet’) is Casey O’Neil. She’s riding an insane four-fight win streak that includes a victory over the younger Shevchenko sister, Antonina. Who would you like to see face Valentina Shevchenko next, or should Taila Santos get an instant rematch?

Also, do you think the judges scored the fight wrong or did ‘The Bullet’ truly deserve the decision victory?