"Right now, she's the baddest female athlete" - Brandon Moreno recalls training with Valentina Shevchenko at the UFC Performance Institute
Brandon Moreno has explained what it was like to work with Valentina Shevchenko at the UFC Performance Institute.
At one point in time, Brandon Moreno and Valentina Shevchenko were the respective king and queen of the flyweight division.
In the present day, Moreno is hoping to regain the gold after losing it to arch-rival Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270. Shevchenko, meanwhile, still holds the distinction and has already been able to successfully defend the belt on six separate occasions.
Both individuals have worked incredibly hard to get to where they're at today. In a recent interview, Moreno spoke candidly about how he views 'Bullet' and her role in women's mixed martial arts.
During an appearance on The Fight with Teddy Atlas, 'The Assassin Baby' said:
“I mean, first of all she’s amazing. She’s a really nice athlete and that’s why she’s the champion right now, because she is a perfectionist in every single moment in the fight. With her jiu-jitsu, with her wrestling, the striking, obviously, I was just trying to get new knowledge. She’s amazing. She is very fast, very technical, her kicks are very good too, she’s a very good fighter. I can sit her and talk about all the other skills she has, but just to share the mat with her and get new knowledge is amazing. Hopefully I gave new knowledge to her, too... Right now, she’s the baddest female athlete, I think.”
Catch the full episode below:
What's next for Brandon Moreno?
The plan of action for Brandon Moreno is unknown right now after he lost the UFC flyweight championship to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270. While the fight was close, some wonder whether or not there needs to be a gap between the trilogy and a potential fourth showdown between the pair.
Kai Kara-France or Askar Askarov appear to be waiting in the wings in case the UFC decides to give Figueiredo a fresh matchup. If that happens, it wouldn't be all too surprising to see Moreno sit out and wait for his chance to regain the belt.
After all, the defeat last month was the first time he's actually been beaten by the Brazilian. The UFC would love nothing more than to put them together again given the potential fireworks, especially if it happened down in Mexico.