Valentina Shevchenko isn’t backing down in the war of words.
“Bullet” is coming off a second-round submission victory over Julianna Pena last weekend (Jan. 28). The win solidified her status as the number one contender for Amanda Nunes’ women’s bantamweight championship.
Shevchenko was recently interviewed by USA TODAY Sports (via MMAJunkie.com). She said she feels the champion is taking notice of the threat she presents:
“I think she knows I’m dangerous for her. First of all, she didn’t want to fight me when I defeated Holly Holm. She said I should fight Julianna Pena. Then she said, ‘I will fight Ronda Rousey.’ Now she said, ‘I will fight the winner of Holly Holm and Germaine.’ She knows it will be a difficult fight for her, and she’s trying to escape. I don’t think the UFC will allow this for her, and I know that she will fight me. At this level of competition, I don’t think anyone is scared, but they feel (an opponent is) dangerous. This is a different feeling.”
Shevchenko has won seven of her last eight bouts. Her only loss in that stretch was to Nunes 11 months ago. Nunes won the fight by unanimous decision, but Shevchenko was having a solid round three. This left many wondering what would’ve happened if the fight went two more rounds.
