UFC Champ Valentina Shevchenko Fires Back at Manon Fiorot: ‘I Don’t Care About Her’
Valentina Shevchenko isn’t concerned with Manon Fiorot’s trash talk.
Emanating from the Bell Centre in Montreal, UFC 315 will see ‘Bullet’ put her flyweight crown on the line for the first time since regaining the gold in September. Hoping to cut her second reign short is Fiorot, the division’s No. 2 ranked contender.
Hailing from, of all places, Nice, France, Fiorot has been known for her respectful demeanor inside the Octagon. However, ‘The Beast’ is attempting to flip the script ahead of her first UFC title opportunity. Recently, Fiorot vowed to send Shevchenko into retirement, adding that she would steal the champ’s rumored superfight with strawweight queen Zhang Weili following their clash in The Great White North.
During an exclusive interview with Stake.com, Shevchenko admitted to being taken aback by Fiorot’s comments, but she’s not letting any of it get to her.
“It was a little bit weird to hear those kinds of things from her because she claims to be a respectful fighter, but apparently not so much anymore! But I do not care,” Shevchenko — a Stake Ambassador —said. “I do not care what my opponent is thinking or what they have in mind, because I know who I am. I know my strategy for the fight. I know how I act leading into the fight. That is what is important to me, because I rely only on my own strength.”
Will Valentina Shevchenko snap Fiorot’s seven-year unbeaten streak?
While Shevchenko is considered by many to be one of, it not the greatest female fighters in MMA history, Fiorot’s confidence is not misguided.
‘The Beast’ has not lost a bout since a Cage Warriors clash with Leah McCourt in 2018. In the years since, she’s won 14 straight, including noteworthy wins against Katlyn Cerminara, ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas, and Erin Blanchfield in her last three outings.
