Valentina Shevchenko scored a surprising win last night over Juliana Pena via second round submission on Fox broadcast network.
Shevchenko applauded Pena’s efforts, but said she had no doubt that she would emerge victorious given how hard she trained and prepared for this fight. “[Pena is a] good fighter, she’s wild, but I’m a master,” she said at the post-fight press conference. “I was sure about the victory because I had very strong training camp. I trained very hard and for this fight. I was very motivated and very concentrated. I said before this fight I don’t want to think about the future. I knew I had to win this.”
She also expressed her desire to rematch Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes as she feels more prepared now than in their first bout. She believes she would now walk away with the title. “I know it will be a totally different fight with a totally different result,” Shevchenko said. “Amanda won not because she was stronger than me, it was because maybe I gave her a little bit of a reason to take this victory. I know for sure I’ve been training hard all this time and every fight I get much stronger and much stronger. That’s why I know I will do my best to take this belt from her. [We can fight] any time. I’m ready right now.”
Though no official announcement has been made it is highly speculated that Shevchenko will receive the next title shot. Nunes entered the Octagon and exchanged a few heated words with Shevchenko after her victory last night, which set the stage for their title fight.
Cervantes Analysis: Well, I certainly didn’t see that coming. I knew that Shevchenko would have the advantage on the feet, but I never expected her to be so dominant on the ground as well. As there isn’t another immediate deserving contender, I can see her getting the next shot, but I’m not sure the result will be any different than their first bout considering Nunes just came off a lopsided victory over the greatest fighter in the division. But I’ve been wrong before.
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