Valentina Shevchenko is set to defend her flyweight title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, expressing confidence and dismissing Fiorot’s trash talk while looking forward to proving her superiority in the octagon.
Valentina Shevchenko might be out to prove something big this weekend. She’s defending her flyweight title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315. While Shevchenko usually respects her opponents, there’s some tension with Fiorot.
“I don’t think it’s right to compare myself to her,” Shevchenko mentioned at UFC 315 Media Day. “I wouldn’t disrespect my opponents like she did.”
The friction traces back to last year. Fiorot, known as “The Beast,” called out Shevchenko, claiming she’d retire “Bullet.” This came right after Shevchenko reclaimed her title from Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. Fiorot’s unexpected trash talk seemed out of character, and Shevchenko thinks it was due to Fiorot’s insecurity about her ranking.
“She tweeted too soon,” Shevchenko noted. “It was just a month after my fight. But I get it, she was desperate. A bit delayed, but in the end, it all worked out.”
For Shevchenko, Fiorot’s words are more likely to backfire on Fiorot herself. “Does it bother me? Nothing,” Shevchenko said. Her martial arts journey started at five, and she’s a 17-time world champion. “If I let words affect me, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have.”
Yet, Shevchenko can’t deny the satisfaction of seeing Fiorot face reality in the octagon. “I love when people come in confident,” she said. “They talk about finishes. But watching their plans crumble? That’s the best.”
UFC 315 kicks off on Saturday, May 10, at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The main event features a welterweight title bout between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.