Valentina Shevchenko responds to criticism of her 'no-water' policy during training: "They don't have this analyzing mindset"
Valentina Shevchenko recently addressed the objections surrounding her 'no-water' policy during her training regimen. 'Bullet' is currently serving as the opposing coach against reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso on 'The Ultimate Fighter' ('TUF') season 32, as the duo prepares for their trilogy fight in the near future.
In the first episode of the latest edition of TUF, which aired last Tuesday, Shevchenko revealed that she implements strict hydration rules for her fighters during training. They are prohibited from consuming water throughout their sessions, aiming to cultivate a champion mentality.
However, the former 125-pound champion's comments sparked controversy within the MMA community, as a segment argued over the potential benefits of intentionally depriving oneself of hydration during training sessions.
During a recent interview with MMA Today (via MMA on SiriusXM), Shevchenko discussed the ongoing debate surrounding her training protocol, asserting that many MMA fighters resonate with her approach and actually adhere to the same rule.
'Bullet' also criticized her detractors, stating that numerous fans are swayed by hearsay and criticize her without considering the potential benefits of abstaining from water during training:
"I just explain to them that they are wrong because they don't have this analyzing mindset. They only hear what someone is saying. They don't do the research. They don't try to find out the reason behind it. They hear from someone and don't have the power to analyze. They only repeat; they don't want to go deeper, and this is wrong."
Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comments below:
Among the notable figures expressing support for Shevchenko is former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. He recently commented on an ESPN MMA Instagram post, admitting that he believed he was the only one adhering to the 'no-water' policy.
Leading MMA nutritionist rejects Valentina Shevchenko's 'no-water' policy
Jordan Sullivan, widely recognized in the MMA community as 'The Fight Dietitian,' recently elaborated on why he believes Valentina Shevchenko's 'no-water' rule is ineffective and offers little to no benefit.
The expert nutritionist recently took to Instagram to challenge 'Bullet's' claims and presented his own counterarguments:
"Say you give me two Valentina's and I dehydrated the f**k out of one of them and kept one properly hydrated and made them both train for a year. Who is better in a year's time? Physically, the non-dehydrated, because they will get more quality training time than the dehydrated one."
Sullivan further elaborated that fighters who remain well-hydrated gain far more from their training compared to those who are dehydrated. He also asserted that proper hydration contributes significantly to developing mental fortitude:
"Mentally, they're probably way tougher as well, because despite what most people think, you don't develop mental toughness by unnecessary suffering, but by doing the thing [training.]"
Check out Jordan Sullivan's comments below: