"She's going to go out there and crush this girl" - Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson shares prediction for Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos

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From left to right: Stephen Thompson, Valentina Shevchenko and Taila Santos [Image Courtesy: @ufc on Twitter]

Valentina Shevchenko should not have any problems defeating Taila Santos at UFC 275, according to Stephen Thompson. ‘Wonderboy’ is sure that ‘Bullet’ will emerge victorious thanks to her elite striking skills.

In his most recent edition of the What’s up Everybody!? podcast, Thompson shared his opinions about the upcoming UFC 275 pay-per-view, including the co-main event. Despite not knowing who Santos is, the 39-year-old stated that she’s in for a rough day in Singapore.

After learning some information about the Brazilian’s record, Thompson changed the subject, stating that he hopes to see a spinning-back kick from Valentina Shevchenko. Both 'Wonderboy' and his co-host went on to praise the champ for her focus, saying that she seems to be immune to any distractions during fights.

When it came to a prediction, ‘Wonderboy’ said this about the chances of the reigning UFC women’s flyweight champion retaining her gold:

"She's going to go out there and crush this girl."

Watch the latest episode of the What’s up Everybody!? podcast below:

Valentina Shevchenko is the current UFC women’s flyweight champion and has been unbeaten since 2018. She has defended her title on six different occasions, helping improve her record to 22-3. Two of her losses came against UFC women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes.

Taila Santos, meanwhile, has a 19-1 record, with her sole loss being her UFC debut against Mara Romero Borella. Since then, she's built a four-fight winning streak.

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Taila plans to take Valentina Shevchenko to the ground

It looks like the Brazilian fighter is fully aware of the danger presented by Valentina Shevchenko’s striking. There’s a reason for that, with the champion training in Muay Thai from the age of 16. She knows what it takes to be a good striker and what it takes to beat one.

During her latest interview with Combate, Santos admitted that her strategy is to make her upcoming fight a ground-game affair.

While she's only a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has just three submission wins on her record, Santos believes a grappling-heavy approach is the best strategy:

“I think I'll take this fight to the ground. Valentina is a very tough athlete, she has her strengths in striking, but I believe that, in the ground fight, I will be able to stand out. Valentina is a tough athlete in striking, she beat several tough opponents, she's an intelligent athlete, but I believe I'll be successful looking for the ground fight, where I feel super good. I come from a Muay Thai school, I feel super good in striking, but I see her weak points on the ground, and I believe that in this area I will be successful in the fight.” [h/t Google Translate]”

We'll find out if Santos can successfully implement her game plan at UFC 275 this weekend.

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