- 13 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00This is the co-main event of the evening, brought to you by True Classic, where perfect fit meets hitting comfort.
00:12Visit trueclassic.com slash UFC for a chance to win store credit and buy New Amsterdam Vodka.
00:20Five-time distilled and three-time filtered, New Amsterdam is in your corner with award-winning vodka.
00:26Our three judges scoring this contest at Octagon Side are Chris Politski, Eric Cullen, and Chris Lee.
00:33And when the action begins, a referee in charge of the Octagon, Mark Goddard.
00:38And now, this fight is five rounds for the undisputed UFC Flyweight Championship of the World.
00:58Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner, a McFargel artist holding professional record, 26 wins, three losses.
01:08She stands, five feet four inches tall, weighing in at 124 and one-half pounds.
01:14Fighting out of the blue corner, fighting out of the red corner, a Muay Thai kickboxer holding a professional record.
01:4325 wins, 25 wins, four losses, one draw.
01:47She stands, five feet five inches tall, weighing in at 124 and one-half pounds.
01:54Fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, presenting the reigning, defending, undisputed, UFC Flyweight Champion of the World,
02:11Valentino Boletjev Sheikho.
02:26Hey ladies, you understand the rules you find, there needs to be all time to keep yourself protected.
02:30When I say stop, please stop.
02:31If you want to touch to it now, God bless.
02:33Singularly, one of the most consequential bouts in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
02:44The two best women in the world across any division, at least that's the consensus.
02:49Valentina Shevchenko looking to remain the hunted at 125 pounds.
02:55Zhang Weili looking to join the list of fighters to realize titles in two divisions.
03:01Shevchenko in the green with gold.
03:03Zhang Weili is in red.
03:04I think this is a fight to determine who might just be the greatest female fighter of all time.
03:11The level of competition that these two have fought and now fighting each other is crazy.
03:17Now Weili's got to be very patient because the one thing about Valentina,
03:20while she has become a really high-level grappler, she is a tremendous counter-strike.
03:27Early right hand with some pop lands for Weili.
03:29One thing that's going to be interesting is the speed of Zhang Weili because, oh, nice kick to the body.
03:36She's used to fighting at 115 pounds, whereas Valentina has fought as high as bantamweight before.
03:42Oh, yeah, Valentina has fought some big girls and found a lot of success fighting at 135.
03:47She was a little small, but the moment 125 was created, you just knew she was the best in the world.
03:52And she has been there almost the entire time that the division has existed.
03:56Eight title defenses across two reigns.
03:59Tonight the 13th straight title fight for Shevchenko.
04:04Well, go to Crypto.com today and join 150 million people around the world trading Bitcoin, CRO, and many more.
04:10Crypto.com.
04:11This range isn't four-way legal.
04:14She's got to find a way to get closer to Valentina.
04:17If I'm fighting Valentina Shevchenko, I understand the dangers that come with entering into range, but you can't stay outside.
04:31Remember Jessica Ai was willing to stay outside.
04:34She got hit with body kick after body kick, and eventually Valentina went.
04:39Oh!
04:40Big knee to the body by Valentina.
04:43Valentina seems a lot bigger.
04:45Yes, she does.
04:47And momentum was part of it, but that knee did draw a reaction from Wei Li.
04:51Two minutes have gone by round one.
04:53And in her last title defense against Manon Fior, who is one of the biggest in this division, she dominated her on the ground.
05:00It just beat her up.
05:02Beat her up standing, took her to the ground, and dominated her there.
05:05Oh, that was a nasty knee to the body.
05:16That one dropped her.
05:17Yeah, that might have been a knockdown.
05:18Yeah, that one dropped her.
05:22Valentina is trying to step over these knees, and Jean Whaley is doing a really good job of those butterflies.
05:29Back to your feet.
05:34Encouraging early sign for the Chinese fighter.
05:39Valentina just stands there right in the center and almost daring you to come forward and try to engage with her.
05:46Oh, she stung her with that spinning back fist.
05:53I think she hurt her again.
05:56But she wobbled as she moved forward to clinch.
05:59But Valentina was there for the clinch, and that's probably what's helping her here.
06:03Jean was fighting for that double underhook prevented by Shevchenko.
06:08Wei Li tried to go inside trip there.
06:10And this is where the difference in size is apparent.
06:23Gets her down again in his side control now.
06:26And now Wei Li doesn't have that underhook that she had the first time she fell to the ground.
06:3360 career takedowns for Shevchenko.
06:37It's very difficult to get up if you don't have an underhook.
06:39There you go.
06:40You see Wei Li trying to dig the right underhook.
06:42Once she gets there, she's got to get on her left hip, build up to her elbow to start that get up process.
06:50You cannot be laying flat on your back without any type of controls from the bottom.
07:00Well, she's done a good job of bringing it back to guard here.
07:03And again, she's got excellent butterflies.
07:05And she uses those to elevate Valentina.
07:09And Joe gives her just enough space, right?
07:13When she uses those butterflies, she gets her hip flopped for a little bit.
07:16And then she starts to turn into.
07:17Shevchenko thoughtful with her every movement as we come down the stretch in round one.
07:38So a knockdown with a knee, a spinning attack, some ground control as well.
07:50Outstanding start for the champ, Shevchenko.
07:52All right, tonight's corner cam is powered by Prime Hydration's new flavor, Snowball Slushie with only 20 calories.
08:02Zero added sugar and electrolytes now available at Walmart.
08:04Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe.
08:06Sit down.
08:06Don't rush, don't rush.
08:16Don't rush.
08:20Keep pushing her back with your hard steps and your level changes, okay?
08:24Keep touching the hand, you'll find her with that cross.
08:26Here's your water.
08:27Be careful with the spinning.
08:32Keep touching the elbow, the spinning back fist.
08:34You'll find your range, but I need more faint and hard steps on the way.
08:38There's a body kick by Shevchenko.
08:41And there's that nasty knee to the body in the clinch.
08:46It did look like it dropped her, and here's the spinning back fist.
08:50Kind of caught her with the elbow a little bit.
08:59Round two is brought to you by Monaco, the official canned cocktail of UFC.
09:04Two shots in every can.
09:07Islamakashev waiting in the wings by round two, Shevchenko and Jean.
09:15And I think that Wei Li's going to have to go through so many obstacles to get close
09:21that she's going to have to just deal with the dangers that she goes through
09:26because she has to be close to Valentina.
09:32Yeah, the size difference is apparent now.
09:34It's unbelievable, right?
09:35Like, it did not look like it was that big.
09:40But Valentina's just used to bigger women and handling them.
09:44Oh, beautiful counter.
09:48Left hand gets through for Shevchenko.
09:51And you talk about Manon Fior.
09:53She's massive for this weight class.
09:55And Valentina, I mean, she is just so physical.
10:00Yeah, she's so physically strong.
10:02And those are the same positions against Tatiana Suarez that Wei Li won.
10:08Right.
10:09That's a good point, Jeff.
10:11Oakley Meadow, welcome to the era of athletic intelligence.
10:21Dean Thomas, what do you have, good sir?
10:24So Wei Li is having a severe problem with the range.
10:27So she's bouncing back and forth right in front of Shevchenko.
10:30And Shevchenko's just waiting for her to come in.
10:32Wei Li's rushing straight in.
10:34Wei Li's got to do a better job of creating an angle before she goes in
10:38because she's running right into the line of fire of Shevchenko.
10:45I just kind of wonder what she has to do, right?
10:48Like, move off the line.
10:50Like, go forward.
10:51Just enter.
10:52She's going to have to change something.
10:54But even getting close to this point has not worked.
10:57Valentina has just pulled her to the ground.
11:01Valentina's moving to a crucifix position.
11:04And we have seen her finish fights like this before.
11:07Well, Zhang Wei Li keeps trying to capture one of Valentina's legs
11:11and try to bring her back to guard,
11:13which she was successful doing in the first round.
11:15But now Valentina's having none of it.
11:17And so she keeps spinning in that counterclockwise way.
11:26And she's moving towards a potential crucifix.
11:28There it is.
11:29There it is.
11:30And as Wei Li gets more and more tired, this is just going to wear on her.
11:40And you watch Wei Li, and she's doing the right thing, Joe.
11:43You do want to try and recover guard from this position.
11:48But Valentina is just a step ahead of her.
11:50It's going to be really hard now that she's so high up on the chest.
11:54She has captured a leg,
11:55but she's going to have to completely rotate her butt,
11:59and she lost it.
12:01I mean, it's just a physical dominance right now for Valentina.
12:05Positional dominance and physical dominance.
12:08Now she's recovering an underhook here.
12:10So she will have a chance if she can dig that right underhook
12:12and get up to her left hip.
12:14But look at Valentina just killed her.
12:17She killed the underhook by pressuring over towards that side.
12:20She killed the underhook, but she does have a leg capture.
12:23And if Jean-Louis Li is moving towards guard,
12:26and she gets it.
12:27Got it, yep.
12:27Yeah.
12:29That was step one.
12:33A lot of subtleties and nuance to the graphic game of Shevchenko.
12:38Several past foes have been crucifixed by her on draws.
12:43Just to shake, to take in,
12:45Jean-Louis Li largely able to avoid that position,
12:47at least so far.
12:48But even in this, right,
12:52Valentina, the world champion kickboxer,
12:55Muay Thai specialist,
12:57is once again using her grappling
12:59to dominate in a championship fight.
13:03But she's just so complete.
13:06I mean, she's absolutely one of the most complete
13:08mixed martial arts in the sport.
13:10And we've got to, you know, realize
13:14she's not just doing this.
13:15She's doing this to an all-time great.
13:17Yes.
13:18Yes.
13:20It has been all Shevchenko through nine minutes.
13:23Even those, I think, who picked her,
13:25maybe a little surprised it has been this one-sided.
13:28You thought that she would be dealing with a little bit more
13:33coming back in her direction.
13:35To this point, she really has shut Jean-Louis Li out.
13:42We'll see what John Wood and that corner to our right
13:46can come up with in terms of answers if we hit a third round.
13:48They're going to have to do something.
13:50Because if you're a team, Shevchenko,
13:52you are trying to get this fight back to the ground
13:55as quickly as possible.
13:56In round one, she had two and a half minutes of control time.
13:59In this round, she might have had almost four.
14:01Right.
14:04All right.
14:05An important 60 seconds for Team Sean.
14:08Tonight's corner camp powered by Prime Hydration's
14:10new flavor Snowball Slushing with only 20 calories.
14:13Zero added sugar and electrolytes now available at Walmart.
14:15Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe.
14:21Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, deep breath.
14:23Listen, let's keep distance and range.
14:27No more crashing in, okay?
14:29We need to keep this on the feet this round.
14:31Keep this feet on the...
14:32Let's keep this on our feet this round, okay?
14:35Hard steps.
14:35You keep crashing in.
14:36When she grabs you, I want you to flank and get space.
14:39I'm very tethered, right?
14:40Yes.
14:41Stay loose and make sure when we get...
14:44If she grabs, we turn and we go.
14:46Frankie, anything?
14:47Yes.
14:47Turn.
14:47Don't just go straight forward.
14:48Turn it in.
14:49Turn it in.
14:49Turn it in.
14:50Turn it in.
14:50Turn it in.
14:50Turn it in.
14:50Listen.
14:51I want this round on the feet.
14:54Use your jab.
14:55Every time you go forward, she's going to fire.
14:58Hey, block, fire, okay?
15:00Every time you go forward.
15:03Block, fire.
15:04Let's go.
15:05Couple of world-class lightweights set to engage next weekend.
15:09Amon Saurabjian is on a tear, laser-focused on a title shot.
15:12Dan Hooker, though, has built a career sport.
15:14Boiling the evenings of many a contender.
15:16That is your headliner for the UFC's debut trip to Doha, Qatar next Saturday.
15:22Special 1 p.m. Eastern start time for the main car.
15:27All right, here we go.
15:28Round three.
15:29Zhang Wei Li, Valentina, Shevchenko.
15:31Oh, inches.
15:39Coach told her she wants him.
15:41He wants him to try to keep his feet on the ground.
15:44He doesn't want her crashing because every time she has crashed, she's been taken down.
15:48Tremendous job, as usual, out of Pavel Fedotov getting Shevchenko ready for this latest challenge.
15:58Lock and fire.
15:59I have to see that hookah.
16:03Keep going.
16:03Keep going.
16:04Just like this side step.
16:06Control.
16:07Use control of the way.
16:10Zhang not quite in range to land that right hand.
16:13Tonight's social media posts are brought to you by Threads for conversations happening inside and outside the Octagon.
16:20Take it to Threads.
16:23Valentina just caught her with a nice counter right hand.
16:31She uses that right hand so well, both as a jab and as a check hook.
16:36Yes.
16:37Remember, like, she got Holly Holm with them.
16:39Yeah, over and over again.
16:40Over and over.
16:41Every time Holly would hit her with that beautiful check hook.
16:45Oh, my.
16:47I mean, defense into offense, seeing everything beautiful.
16:58Always, always on the balls of her feet.
17:00Yeah.
17:02It did not take her long to find the zone tonight.
17:05Oh, nice kick to the body by Zhang.
17:24Weeley landed a couple of good shots.
17:26Good shot to Anteira.
17:27Yep.
17:27Elbow.
17:28Well, go Octagon side with over one million users, digital ownership, fan experiences, and exclusive access awaits you at fight.id.
17:41Sign up now.
17:45Nice knee to the body.
17:49That might have hurt her.
17:50Yeah, it did.
17:50She does not like that.
17:51Look at her trying to tuck that elbow.
17:53Oh, yes.
18:00And that becomes very available whenever you have a conventional fighter softball, and the smaller fighter needs to enter.
18:08It's all those back leg weapons.
18:11You can hear to our right, probably, John Wood, begging for forward pressure from Weeley over these final two.
18:31Yeah, score again.
18:34Hold her here.
18:34You hold her.
18:35Because this has been the closest round so far.
18:39But Weeley's had moments.
18:41But she gets taken down.
18:44I mean, just too strong.
18:46Too physical.
18:47Every time she gets to those underhooks, she just throws her to the ground.
18:52She's not really having to do much to manipulate her either.
18:57She's just bear-hugging her and pulling her right to the ground.
19:00Now, she's too physically strong for her.
19:14You know, you watch these two women fight.
19:17And for Zhang Weeley, she is so special.
19:19And I was talking to someone earlier, and they said, but is she too small?
19:24And I was so enamored with her skill set that you almost forget about the size.
19:30And right now, Valentina's size is really giving Weeley problems.
19:35And strength and everything else.
19:37We mentioned at some point tonight that women trying to realize a title in a second division, one and five.
19:43Amanda Nunes, the only one to do it.
19:44And it sounds trite when people say they're weight classes for a reason, but the size is certainly a major factor, or so it would appear.
19:5430 seconds out of the go in round three.
19:59Zhang Weeley without anything resembling an answer for the thus far dominant Shevchenko.
20:03And Valentina, for all the success that she had at 135, people were able to fight her and beat her.
20:12Outside of Alexa Grasso, in that one fight, she looked unstoppable at 125.
20:19And she had this very same strategy against Alexa Grasso in the rematch.
20:23It was dominant.
20:23Dominant.
20:24Dominant.
20:25Dominant.
20:26Dominant.
20:35Dominant.
20:37Volia.
20:37Dominant.
20:38Everything's right.
20:40You're doing everything right.
20:41Just be careful, please.
20:43Watch her right hand.
20:45Watch her right hand very attentively.
20:47Do you understand me?
20:48Right now, it's very slippery in the cage.
20:51Do you understand me?
20:52In order for you not to slip, be very careful.
20:56Other than that, everything's good.
20:58Just make sure you pay attention to her right hand.
21:01Okay, you understand?
21:04Just wait that she can...
21:06Right here you see that counter right hand.
21:09That was a straight counter.
21:11Wei Li did land that elbow in close.
21:14But then look at the sneak.
21:16You can see Wei Li didn't like that.
21:19And then another takedown by the champion.
21:21Two underhooks, lock your hands, and just bully her down to the ground.
21:25In slow-mo, when you see the impact of that knee to the body,
21:28you really understand why she backed up.
21:32Shack to the Madalena and Islam Mikashev.
21:37Set to compete for the undisputed UFC welterweight title coming up next.
21:41Great job by Kavo Fedotov.
21:43Hard to ask much more from his pupil Shevchenko,
21:47but certainly wants her to be mindful of that right hand.
21:49Could you imagine, though, how long they've been together in terms of her career?
21:55From the moment she started, he was right next to her side,
21:58and they've rolled together.
22:00Oh, she hurt him.
22:01That was hurt her.
22:02It's all the knees and the kicks to the body that are starting to take a toll on Zhang Wei Li.
22:08And she will go up top if she sees Zhang Wei Li drop that elbow in anticipation.
22:13And that's what she did with Jessica Ai.
22:14Yep.
22:15And now she's on the pressure.
22:20You've got level two in here.
22:22Get in.
22:23Press it.
22:24Make sure.
22:29Too high kick here.
22:31Great footwork from Shevchenko defensively.
22:35Press again.
22:36Press again.
22:37Side set.
22:38Press again.
22:39Oh, those body kicks are nasty.
22:50Oh, she's going high.
22:52Yep.
23:01Zhang trying to sort of slide step her way into range.
23:04There's nothing doing.
23:04She's landed just 15 significant strikes on 65 attempts.
23:08Oh, nasty knee to the body.
23:12Oh, my goodness.
23:14Valentina really is pulling away from her.
23:22Zhang hasn't really had a moment.
23:24No.
23:26She's completely shut out one of the greatest female fighters of all time, Zhang.
23:29And it is a reoccurring theme in her fights.
23:36But people are so desperate to think that there's someone out there when she's proven time and time again that she is just really next level.
23:49That front leg, front kick to the body was nasty.
23:51She's chewing up Zhang Wei Li's body.
23:54You can see the redness on her midsection.
23:57And Valentina is such a high-level striker, Jordan.
24:04She'll start to look for those reactions.
24:06And she'll know when it's time to go high all the way lead.
24:09Oh, she's stronger with that right hand.
24:18She's looking for big shots now.
24:20Yep.
24:20The threat seems to be so much smaller in terms of what Wei Li can do to her that you can see her comfort level elevating and her confidence getting higher.
24:33She's looking to kind of put it on or not.
24:35Yep.
24:39No real threat of the takedown.
24:40It's got to be interesting for John Wood to digest this.
24:52You know, humbly in our fighter meeting felt like he had the fighter with the better skills in all areas.
24:57And it's been a whitewash.
24:59Just the accuracy.
25:06I mean, she's landing over 50% of her strikes.
25:10That is such a big number.
25:13Body connection by Wei Li.
25:23Only to be taken down by Shevchenko for the fourth time.
25:25And if we, if what we have seen to this point, this is exactly how the round will end.
25:31Wei Li got up in round one.
25:33Every other time she's been put down there and kept there the entirety of the round.
25:40One of the first things Joe said to me when I got to the booth tonight was,
25:44did you see the way she controlled Manol Fjord on the ground?
25:49Yeah.
25:49It's been no contest tonight.
25:53We'll see if somehow Wei Li can come up with something sensational in round five.
25:59But Shevchenko adding to her greatness in a major way thus far.
26:04And to think about those three fights with Alexa Grosso and where she was, the draw, the second fight.
26:17And man, has she taken back over.
26:21Short shoulder strikes here towards the end of the round.
26:23Four nil Shevchenko and we are going to show you guys a rip of some of her handiwork on the feet
26:44and listen to the audio and the audible of some of these strokes.
27:02Look for that takedown and go straight for the submission.
27:05We cannot be on bottom though.
27:06We have to stay on top.
27:07We're going to have to go press forward.
27:08And when she comes forward, let's split, get into that double or single.
27:11See if we can get that takedown and get on her back.
27:13Okay.
27:13Last round, we've got to finish.
27:14We've got to finish to win this fight, okay?
27:16Everything you've got, everything we've got left this round right now, okay?
27:19Catch your breath.
27:21We have to remember also about Valentina.
27:23She fought Amanda Nunes twice.
27:25And one time, it was a split decision.
27:28Push her back.
27:29That's how good she is.
27:30Push her back.
27:30A lot of people thought she won that first fight.
27:33Right.
27:33And Amanda Nunes went all the way up to become the 145-pound champion.
27:38Many thought she won fight one.
27:40Yeah.
27:41Well, those goat emojis are going to be flying tonight if Shevchenko can finish the job here.
27:45Let's see if Zhang Weili can actually get in on a double or a single and get a takedown.
27:49Well, I don't know about that advice.
27:51I mean, I don't know what to tell her, but I don't know about that advice.
27:54Because there's been no indication that she can out grapple.
27:57Yeah.
27:57She's got to find, like, if she's going to get a takedown, it's got to be off of a combination.
28:03It's got to be off of a feint.
28:05It's got to be off of something that sets, that is set up.
28:10She's not going to just level change and take her down.
28:15Valentina just won't allow it.
28:16She gives nothing free.
28:17There you saw Weili kind of get on the gas.
28:24And Valentina just crushed it.
28:25Like, I'm going to put you in the clinch, and we're going to dance my dance.
28:29I mean, she's trying to follow instructions.
28:36You've got to give her that.
28:37She is the type of athlete you want, right?
28:39Yes.
28:41I mean, that's why she's so good.
28:42I just think she's outsized.
28:44Yes.
28:45And out-experienced against this kind of competition.
28:48And, Joe, honestly, sometimes, right, you go, I'm going to try something so special because I've dominated.
28:58You've got to imagine, this doesn't go her way.
29:02She tells the company, I'd like to go back down.
29:05Yeah.
29:05There's a massive fight way before I won 15.
29:08Hey, it ain't great for the rest of the division, but you can't deny her the opportunity to go back and chase a championship that she gave away.
29:16I mean, she only gave it away to come up to 125, and this is clearly not her weight class.
29:21Well, she tried to do something.
29:23Sometimes you dare to be great.
29:25Yes.
29:25Right?
29:25And it doesn't work always.
29:26Well, we also have to realize the difference in 10 pounds when you're 115 pounds is massive.
29:32Yeah.
29:32It's not like the difference between, you know, 170 and 185.
29:36It's a big gap.
29:38And that's why Pantoja is unwilling to go to 135.
29:42Everybody's like, well, Mirov needs a challenger.
29:46Pantoja should go.
29:46Pantoja's like, nah, I'm good.
29:48Yeah.
29:48Because he's not big enough.
29:49Right.
29:50He's not big enough.
29:51Mirov's huge.
29:52It would literally take away all of his advantages.
29:55Yes.
29:56Mirov can wrestle.
29:57Mirov can do all that.
29:58But then it kind of makes you put into perspective Henry a little bit.
30:02Right?
30:02Henry did it.
30:03Yeah.
30:03He's annoying, sure.
30:05But he did it.
30:06He did it.
30:06Well, Mirov's got some paws going up to 45, too.
30:09Exactly.
30:10Mirov going, they're just too big.
30:13There's a massive difference.
30:15I don't think this shows it.
30:16More than anything.
30:17It is size, but it's also tremendous skill.
30:21It's also her greatness.
30:23Because, again, we throw the Manon-Fiora fight.
30:26That lady's huge.
30:27Yep.
30:28That's the biggest 125-pounder out there.
30:31And she controlled and dominated.
30:32She did exactly the same thing to her.
30:34She's great, man.
30:36She's so, she is just so good.
30:39And she's been so good for so long.
30:42And, you know, you hate with two minutes left to go in a fight that has been as hyped as this one.
30:47And start to have your mind go to Natalia Silva or Aaron Blanchfield.
30:50But, my goodness, right?
30:53Total domination.
30:54You can certainly argue Shevchenko as the greatest woman to ever compete inside those eight rows.
30:59Yeah.
30:59I'm telling you.
31:01I mean, I know there isn't a second belt.
31:05But what she has done since the weight class that she belongs in really has been amazing.
31:15Look, my money's still on Amanda for the greatest of all time.
31:19She knocked out Cyborg.
31:20Yes.
31:20Knocked out Ronda.
31:22She knocks out everybody.
31:23You know, she finishes people.
31:25Yes.
31:26There's a real argument that Shevchenko is in that.
31:29She's in the discussion.
31:31It's like Mike McJord and LeBron James.
31:33Not many people want to go, well, LeBron might be, but I think now we are at least willing to have a conversation.
31:40Right.
31:40Because of what Valentina is doing so consistently.
31:44Because, again, she's beaten another all-time great.
31:47Yeah.
31:47She's certainly in the discussion, but right now I think we realize that Jean Whaley is a 150-pound fighter.
31:55She is a...
31:56And dominant at 150.
31:58But this is just...
32:01There's weight classes for a reason.
32:03Right.
32:03Kind of crazy, 10 pounds.
32:05Because...
32:05But for Shevchenko's relative greatness, she was exponentially more competitive up 10 pounds against Amanda Nunes.
32:11Yes.
32:12Yes.
32:12Yes.
32:13Yes.
32:13But does it make you look at the main event, right?
32:15Like, oh, Islam's going up 15 pounds.
32:19Right.
32:20But 15 pounds.
32:21So the thing is, at 150 pounds, it's almost 10% of your body weight.
32:24Yes, 10% of your body weight almost.
32:26Close to it.
32:27Yeah.
32:28It's just a big gap.
32:32It's crazy.
32:33And also the amount of weight that Islam is cutting.
32:36Yes, exactly.
32:37That's the difference.
32:38Yes.
32:38It's just crazy, man, because you think 10 pounds is not very much, but it really did show tonight.
32:47And, I mean, hats off to the queen.
32:49She's been the queen.
32:51Yes.
32:52I'm really good at it.
32:53She's celebrating.
32:55A masterpiece.
32:59Masterclass turned in by the greatest flyweight of them all, Valentina Bulachevchenko.
33:06I mean, an uncompetitive fight against one of the greatest.
33:10She totally neutralized Zhang Weili for 25 of a possible 25 minutes in awe of that execution.
33:18And all the discipline on the front end of it.
33:21Hardest worker in the room.
33:24Valentina Shevchenko in her 13th straight title fight.
33:27Gets it done again.
33:30Unbelievable.
33:32I mean, it was just from the very start, right?
33:35Body shot by Valentina.
33:37She did great work to the body.
33:39The knees that she landed.
33:41The knee is pointed directly at the target every time.
33:43Look at this.
33:44Spinning back fist.
33:46Lands as Weili enters.
33:47Right into a knee, by the way.
33:49Then the counter right hand is still available for Valentina.
33:51But ultimately, it was about the takedown to the control of Valentina Shevchenko that was the difference in this fight.
33:59The body kicks were nasty.
34:01But like I said, it was Valentina with her strength, size, and her control that allowed for her to beat one of the greatest female fighters of all time in a complete wipeout.
34:13Zhang Weili landed one consequential elbow in round three.
34:16Other than that, she didn't really have a singular moment in a fight that on paper was essentially a pick-em.
34:25Valentina Shevchenko just taking her greatness, if you can believe it, to another level tonight.
34:32With the official decision, here's Bruce.
34:37Ladies and gentlemen, after five rounds, we go to the judges' score cards for a decision.
34:43All three judges scored this contest 50-45.
34:47For the winner, by unanimous decision, and still, the undisputed UFC high-weight champion of the world, Valentina Fuller Shevchenko!
35:13Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here with the winner and still champion, Valentina, this was a huge moment for you.
35:24And a huge...
Recommended
38:04
|
Up next
3:07
15:09
47:42
0:50
3:19
0:46
Be the first to comment