Chael Sonnen weighs in on the possible consequences if Valentina Shevchenko turns against the fans
![Chael Sonnen (left) and Valentina Shevchenko (right) [Images Courtesy: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/04/35ccb-16488953281286-1920.jpg?w=500)
Valentina Shevchenko has six straight UFC flyweight title defenses, which makes her one of the most dominant fighters in the promotion. As her fights have started to become predictable, Chael Sonnen thinks that she should undergo some change in her persona to make it more exciting for fans.
The Bad Guy Inc host entertained the idea, originally presented by Josh Thomson, that Valentina Shevchenko should consider a ‘heel turn’.
The term originates from pro wrestling, meaning a drastic change in someone's character and behavior by taking a more villainous approach. The main purpose of playing 'heel' is to make people care by having negative emotions toward that person.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Sonnen opined that a heel turn could bring more attention to Valentina Shevchenko:
"If she was to go heel, if that’s a character that’s truly within her, if it’s a Jon Jones type, where there’s a bad guy just wanting to come through and is doing the best to conceal, then she could be a real natural. She could have some fun. She might be able to get more attention and more headlines."
Watch Chael Sonnen elaborate on Shevchenko’s heel turn below:
As was mentioned earlier, the idea came from former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson, who discussed it with ‘Big’ John Mccarthy during their Weighing In podcast.
Both hosts spoke about Shevchenko's upcoming matchup against Taila Santos at UFC 275. They agreed that the champion is so dominant that fans will begin to lose interest in her fights.
Josh Thomson said this about the idea:
“These type of fighters, they need to become heels, because then people want to see them lose and they tune in every single time to watch them lose. DJ [Demetrious Johnson] was the same way. But he couldn’t become a heel. He was just too nice of a guy.”
Watch the entire episode of the podcast below:
Valentina Shevchenko helps her sister prepare for her upcoming fight
Antonina Shevchenko, the older sister of Valentina, also has an upcoming fight. She will take on Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera on April 30. As usual, both sisters have been training together to prepare themselves for their respective bouts. Antonina will be looking to bounce back after two consecutive losses to Andrea Lee and Casey O’Neill.
Valentina and Antonina Shevchenko made history at UFC 255 when they became the first pair of sisters to fight in the same event. Both were victorious – Valentina on the main card against Jennifer Maia and Antonina in the prelims against Ariane Lipski. During their preparation camp for the pay-per-view, the sisters showcased their skills by synchronizing their moves while hitting the punching bag.
♀️The Shevchenko sisters are synchronized 👯♀️
Valentina and Antonina both return to action Saturday at #UFC255 (via @BulletValentina, @UFCBrasil) https://t.co/Z0w0gevREb