Valentina Shevchenko gifts special bullet talismans to her TUF 32 team, Dana White shares reaction
Valentina Shevchenko is one half of 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 32's competing coaches. To welcome her team into the fold, she gifted each member, including UFC CEO Dana White, a bullet as a special good luck charm. The bullet also serves as the team's talisman.
Shevchenko herself is known by her alias, 'Bullet,' which denotes her lightning-quick strikes and also references her love of marksmanship. Naturally, the gesture drew quite a reaction from White, who was both amused and astonished.
"Yeah, you can't bring that sh*t back home with you. You'll all be in f***ing jail."
Check out Dana White's reaction to Valentina Shevchenko's talisman (0:20):
Shevchenko, who previously reigned as the UFC flyweight women's champion, lost her title to Alexa Grasso in one of the sport's greatest upsets. Their rematch, however, only furthered their rivalry, as it ended with a draw, which meant that Grasso retained the 125-pound belt.
Now, the two women are coaches on 'The Ultimate Fighter' and are expected to have a trilogy bout following the season's end. While there's no confirmation, it is possible that they will clash at UFC 306, which will be held two days ahead of Mexican Independence Day.
For now, Shevchenko will be gearing up to train her team to defeat Grasso's. If she succeeds, she will be determined to repeat that result against her Mexican rival herself come their trilogy fight, especially after she felt hard-done by following the judges' controversial verdict at Noche UFC.
Valentina Shevchenko is a marksman in her spare time
While Valentina Shevchenko is well-known for her striking skills and world-class Muay Thai experience, she is also among the few UFC fighters to have a deep interest in firearms. In fact, Shevchenko is such a gun enthusiast that she frequently spends time at shooting ranges, sharpening her marksmanship skills.
Check out Valentina Shevchenko's shooting:
This drew the attention of fellow UFC roster-mate and gun enthusiast Sean Strickland, who took to attacking 'Bullet' for her shooting in an antagonistic tirade. Shevchenko, however, jabbed back, and Strickland ultimately apologized to her in a rare move.