Shevchenko plots her revenge on champ Nunes
LAS VEGAS — Valentina Shevchenko has been schooled since the beginning of her martial arts career never to dwell on her opponent’s advantages, and to treat each fight as her last.
As her UFC 213 mainevent rematch Saturday night against women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes nears, Shevchenko said Wednesday she’s relying on that philosophy to capture the belt.
“For me, martial arts is my life,” Shevchenko (14-2) said. “I’ve done it since 5. It’s like everything I have, everything I know. … It’s my spirit, my practice.
“The first fight was close. This time is a new fight. More than one year has passed and I’ve had a very good year of training and experience and fights and I’m looking forward to finishing her as fast as I can.”
Nunes (14-4) capitalized on her unanimous-decision victory over Shevchenko to land a title shot at Miesha Tate, whom she defeated by first-round stoppage before knocking out Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds in December to set up the rematch with Shevchenko.
That dominance made Shevchenko’s March 2016 showing versus Nunes appear more impressive, and Shevchenko also won her two fights since that meeting, defeating former champion Holly Holm by a convincing decision and fellow top contender Julianna Pena by submission.
Shevchenko says she’s capable of knocking out Nunes and believes she has a distinct conditioning advantage if the fight, scheduled for five rounds, drags past the third.
“I was one minute away in the third round from a different result [against Nunes]. … Looking back, I would do a lot of different things, like starting the fight more active,” Shevchenko said.
“All of my soul and power is focused on this fight. I’m realistic. I know my power and her power, and I know her weak sides. I’ve had good performances since and feel this is going to be totally different. I will fight and use all the arms I have. … This is why I’m here, what I want. My goal is to be the champion. And all of the experiences I have will help me.”
Shevchenko’s fighting experience began when, at 12, she defeated a 17-year-old, a lesson that remains now as she considers going toe to toe with Nunes, who badly bloodied Tate and rendered Rousey a dazed shadow of the dominant champion she once was.
“Growing up and competing, I never thought about the advantage someone had on me, like age,” Shevchenko said. “It was just fight, do what I have to do to win. It was never thinking about what she has on me. … I thought of what I knew more.”
As a Muay Thai fighter, Shevchenko became a world champion by producing three consecutive victories over currently undefeated UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the most recent in 2008.
A native of Kyrgyzstan, Shevchenko originally sought stiffer tests fighting in Russia before her coach decided to move his team to Peru.
She now proudly wears the Peruvian flag to the UFC octagon, and displayed more of her personality by dancing in celebration after submitting Pena in January.
In Peru, she and her partner won a dance competition on the reality television show “Combate” by performing reggaeton, rock, merengue, cha-cha and tango numbers that reflected Shevchenko’s achievement in dance classes since the time she started in martial arts.
After her public workout Wednesday, Shevchenko said her extended dedication and well-rounded attention to MMA’s disciplines are the most important assets to lean on in pursuit of the belt and another celebratory jig.
“It’s for the title, it’s a rematch,” Shevchenko said. “I’m a martial artist and I will do everything. … It’s not only about striking, grappling and wrestling. I’m prepared mentally, that’s most important. In my mind, there’s only goal: victory.”