Valentina Shevchenko is confident she will beat Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 to defend her flyweight title.
Shevchenko has reigned over the flyweight division since 2018 and has been dominant since then. She will return to the Octagon on Saturday against Lauren Murphy and Shevchenko doesn’t see where Murphy beats her.
“(One of the) more durable athletes that I’ve ever seen? I doubt (it),” Valentina Shevchenko said at media day. “More technical? I doubt. More well-rounded? I doubt. I don’t know. For all the years that I was fighting, it’s kind of hard to surprise me with something special if you are not a superhuman. I know she is well-rounded. I know she is strong. I know she is dangerous. This is everything that I have to know about her. But something special that I could put pressure on my shoulders? No.”
Shevchenko is a massive favorite and many expect her to defend her belt again. If she defends her belt again, many are uncertain what is next for her. Yet, she makes it clear she will continue to fight as she wants to continue to be a dominant champion.
“I think that if people already put a plan (or) limit to their career, they are down already because it’s kind of like they’re starting to count minutes, seconds toward their end,” Shevchenko said. “I don’t want it to happen. I want to do everything as I can, the best way that I can, the most time as I can. That’s why I don’t put nothing in front of me like, ‘Oh, this certain age, I’m done.’ I don’t want the beautiful time of my life that’s going to be ended soon. I just want to extend it as much as I can.”
Valentina Shevchenko is coming off a TKO win over Jessica Andrade at UFC 261 to defend her title.
