Valentina Shevchenko shuts down fans criticizing Amanda Nunes' retirement with a classy response
Valentina Shevchenko has had one great rival throughout her career: Amanda Nunes. The two women twice clashed inside the octagon, each bout more competitive than the last. However, despite her best efforts, Valentina Shevchenko never scored a win over the Brazilian great.
While there were rumblings of a potential trilogy bout between them during the peak of their respective title reigns, Nunes ultimately retired before Shevchenko try her luck in a rubber match. At a recent media event ahead of her rematch with Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko was asked about Amanda Nunes.
Watch the full interview below:
Specifically, 'Bullet' was asked whether she was disappointed by the fact that Nunes' retirement robbed her of a trilogy fight. To that, Shevchenko had the following to say (at 14:20 minutes):
"First of all, Amanda, she is amazing fighter. She did amazing things in the sport, and I feel that many people, they starting to judge a little bit to say like 'Oh she's retired or something like that,' but I wanna say no one has the right to judge a fighter, who did that much, right? Definitely me, being her opponent, and I feel like we kind of like tied with her every time she's been asked about me, I'm being asked about her. And yes, definitely, I think our second fight she didn't win. I think I won that fight, many people think the same."
While she initially shut down any potential criticism aimed at Amanda Nunes' retirement, Valentina Shevchenko did express her belief that she won the pair's second fight. She ultimately stated her intention to keep fighting and if Nunes ever walks back on her retirement, she will gladly seek a third bout.
Who has Valentina Shevchenko lost to in MMA?
The former women's flyweight queen has an impressive record of 23 wins and just four losses. But who exactly did those losses come against? It is well-known that Valentina Shevchenko suffered a pair of defeats to Amanda Nunes. Furthermore, she recently lost to Alexa Grasso in one of the biggest upsets of the year.
But who handed her her other career loss? Back in her pre-UFC days, 'Bullet' faced Liz Carmouche at C3 Fights: Red River Rivalry in a bantamweight affair. While she was dominant for as long as the bout lasted, Shevchenko ate an illegal up-kick that cut her open badly.
Unfortunately, the referee drew controversy by failing to award Shevchenko a win via disqualification, and Carmouche was instead gifted a win via doctor stoppage.