MONTREAL — Valentina Shevchenko is moving on to an entirely new generation of flyweight contenders — and the results are still the same.
Shevchenko (25-4-1) recorded her 10th victory in a UFC title fight on Saturday, as she defended her flyweight championship against Manon Fiorot (12-2) by unanimous decision. The 125-pound championship bout co-headlined UFC 315 at the Bell Centre.
It was a competitive fight throughout, with Fiorot constantly looking to tie Shevchenko up along the fence in the clinch. Shevchenko managed to create enough space at times to outpoint Fiorot on their feet. Shevchenko dropped Fiorot late in the fourth round and landed a couple of spinning backfists late to take control of the scorecards.
All three judges scored it for 48-47 Shevchenko.
“I was expecting a hard fight; she’s a good fighter,” said Shevchenko, 37, from Kyrgyzstan. “I’m going to keep going. Numbers [age] is nothing. What is more important is how you feel physically, mentally, how you perform.”
The victory ties Shevchenko for the second-most wins in women’s UFC title fight history. Retired bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes holds the record at 11.
Fiorot, 35, was looking to become the first French champion in UFC history. She found some success in the second and third rounds, after eating a big overhand right in the first that left her nose bloodied early. She used her physicality to hold Shevchenko against the fence and land knees to the legs and midsection. Fiorot appeared to be winning the fourth, until Shevchenko’s big moments late in the frame.
Fiorot actually was favored to dethrone Shevchenko going in. Fiorot had been 7-0 in the UFC, with impressive victories against Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield. Fiorot shrugged off Shevchenko’s attempts to take her to the floor but couldn’t implement her own striking style. Despite coming from a karate background, Fiorot looked hesitant to trade with Shevchenko at range.
For Shevchenko, it was her first appearance since closing a three-fight rivalry with Alexa Grasso, which spanned three consecutive fights in 2023 and 2024.
Source link
