UFC Fight Night: Valentina Shevchenko Determines To Destroy Alexa Grasso

Valentina Shevchenko is hell-bent on reclaiming the UFC flyweight title she believes is rightfully hers. On September 16, ‘Bullet’ will try to recover after suffering her first defeat in more than five years. Entering the co-main event of UFC 285 earlier this year, Shevchenko surprisingly surrendered her gold to Alex Grasso after succumbing to a rear-naked choke submission in the fourth round. Seven months later, both will present it again at UFC Night.

As fight week approaches, Shevchenko sat down with James Lynch in an exclusive LowKick MMA interview to discuss her mindset ahead of the highly anticipated title fight. When asked if she was focusing on any specific aspect of her game ahead of the rematch, ‘Bullet’ revealed that her training has been normal.

That’s all. Everything as always because in MMA it is a complete fighting style. You and I are complete MMA fighters . I have to focus on everything in terms of wins and losses as best I can. I can’t focus on one thing and then in the fight something changed and I’m not prepared. The fighter who fights at a high level of competition has to work at everything.”

To prepare, Shevchenko has been honing her skills at the iconic Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand. There, she ‘Bullet’ feels that she has been able to return to the roots of what eventually made her one of the most dangerous women in mixed martial arts. It’s like when you’re reliving everything from the beginning and it’s like when you return to the place where you grew up.

You remember your feelings on this journey to become the best. To become the greatest. And definitely, all these emotions wake you up and say, ‘Okay, this is what you need to feel.’ This is what you have to do.'”