"Love it," "When is your debut" - Laura Sanko, Luana Santos and fans react to Nina-Marie Daniele training superman punch with Valentina Shevchenko
Ahead of her trilogy title bout at UFC 306, Valentina Shevchenko carved some time out of her busy schedule to train UFC content creator Nina-Marie Daniele.
The model-turned-journalist has built a fun-loving brand for herself in the MMA community, and fans and fighters have embraced the interviewer's lighthearted content amidst the monotony of mainstream MMA media.
The former flyweight champion recently took the UFC personality under her wing to teach her some wild moves. The interviewer posted the footage of her drilling the Superman punch with 'Bullet' on Instagram.
Check out the clip of Shevchenko training Daniele below:
The footage caught the attention of fans and media, who weighed on how much they enjoyed watching the pair together.
MMA analyst @laura_sanko wrote:
"Love it.... “ok but now do it seriously”
Flyweight contender @luanasantosmma was hysterical:
"😂😂😂"
@p.k_delta stated:
"I've seen enough. Give her Jon Jones."
@spacejones89 quipped:
"Valentina teaches fighting, Nina teaches twerking #culturalexchange."
@rafiferreira123 said:
"When is your debut"
Here are other more reactions:
Shevchenko is set to meet Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306 on Sept. 14 as she looks to regain the title she lost against the same opponent at UFC 285. In their second encounter at Noche UFC last year, the fight ended in a split draw.
Therefore, both flyweights would be looking to make a statement in their concluding bout to solidify their position as the champion in the historic first-ever women's trilogy fight.
Valentina Shevchenko dismissed Alexa Grasso's fight advice
Valentina Shevchenko's reign as UFC women's flyweight champion would be venerated for years to come. The Krygystan native remained undefeated, overlooking her two losses at bantamweight against former two-division champion Amanda Nunes, before colliding with Alexa Grasso, who beat 'Bullet' via rear-naked choke in a shocking upset in March 2023.
Now that the historic trilogy is set to go underway, both fighters have jibed at the other while remaining respectful in the buildup. Grasso claimed 'Bullet' didn't use effective strategies in their second fight, with Shevchenko paying no heed to the champion's advice while attributing her loss to inaccurate judging.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Shevchenko said:
“Reading between the strokes, it means like, ‘OK, OK, Valentina, If I stay on my side of the octagon and you play your game, I will be safe and I won’t lose my belt. So she’s expecting me to stay on my side and she’s on hers, and we’re gonna do shadowboxing or something like that."
'Bullet' added:
"But seriously, why are we talking about a third fight? It’s only because of the judge’s mistake in the second fight, Everyone saw that I was the winner. I did enough to win, like three rounds out of five. That’s why we’re discussing this trilogy. Everything I did worked; all my strategies were effective."
Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comments below: