Valerie Letourneau clarifies wardrobe malfunction issue in UFC Fight Night 89 loss to Joanne Calderwood

There was an awkward spot in last Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 89 bout between Joanne Calderwood and Valerie Letourneau, as Letourneau was having some issues with her fight wardrobe after a kick to the chest from Calderwood.

After hearing that the commentary on the fight speculated on the chest shot affecting her like perhaps a low blow to a male fighter, Letourneau took to Instagram on Wednesday to explain the issue.

I want to clarify something, my daughter told me what the commentators were saying during the fight, and I felt insulted. I have been practicing martial arts for 17 years, so I have no problem taking hits to the chest. It is the rule, and it isn’t worse than a low kick! My only problem during the fight is that my bra litterally slipped under my breasts. This is why I stared, embarrassed, at the referee, and I have no idea what Jojo told me, but I had to keep fighting. It seems that I was being mocked because I seemed to be complaining of blows to the breast. I think that I have nothing to prove regarding the numbers of hits I can take without complaining. Guys, would you be able to keep fighting without being distracted if one of your nuts was slipping out of your shorts? Anyway, it does not excuse my defeat, but I wanted to clarify this part of the fight!

A photo posted by Valerie Letourneau (@valerietroubleletourneau) on Jun 22, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

Penick’s Analysis: It seemed clear it was a wardrobe issue off that kick, as Calderwood’s foot essentially got caught in Letourneau’s top and pulled down after the kick. Letourneau was reasonably distracted by that at the moment, though it was clearly awkward as referee Jaren Valel was hesitant in his decision making on what to do in that spot. Calderwood was a good sport in the moment given she was gaining momentum, though she finished it shortly thereafter, but she recognized it for what it was and allowed Letourneau to fix things before continuing.

[Photo (c) Matt Roberts via USA Today Sports]

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