Sabina Mazo isn’t sure who is next for UFC women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko, but in a wide-open division, a new generation has a chance to shine.
Riverside, CA — Sabina Mazo was in the house for LFA 74 on Friday night in Riverside, but this time, the former LFA champ wasn’t there as a fighter. Rather, she was on hand to support her team at King’s MMA. It was something of a homecoming, as Mazo wore gold for the promotion.
As Mazo told Cageside Press during the event, “they made part of me. I think because of them, I am where I’m at. It feels good to see all the faces that once helped me, and that I support right now.”
Teammate Leandro Gomes picked up a big kneebar win during the event. “There’s no words for my teammate and all the King’s MMA family,” said Mazo. “It’s amazing to see them train hard all the months before the fight. And then put it all in one round. I believe a lot in the power he has, and the discipline he has. He showed it tonight.”
Her own return date isn’t set just yet. Mazo (7-1) is coming off a win earlier this month over Shanna Dobson at UFC 241. It was her first in the UFC. “I’m training, I’m training hard for it,” Mazo said.
She’s not about to call out any names, however. “I don’t have a name. I’m a believer that if you’re a champ, you have to climb and fight different styles.” That means not just fighting a couple of names at the top, but proving yourself with each style, she added.
“There’s no name. I just want to go in there and fight whoever they put me to,” she said.
Earlier in the month, fellow Colombian fighter Alejandra Lara raised eyebrows both in and out of the cage at Bellator 225. Her message about the rain forests in South America was well received, and her performance at the show, a first round TKO win against Taylor Turner, was certainly noticed.
With so few fighters from Colombia in MMA, Mazo was excited to see her countrywoman earn a win. “I’m very happy, because first of all, of course we’re Colombians. She’s a very nice fighter, very nice person. I’m very happy for her.”
“I think we’re making history. That’s what matters the most,” she added. “We’re opening the door for future generations. I’m very proud that it’s two girls putting the face [on things], putting the effort and showing it to the world. I’m very very happy for her, for her victory. Really I want to see her more in the cage.”
Mazo’s flyweight division has been hot since its inception, and another exciting fight goes down next weekend at UFC 242. That sees Andrea ‘KGB’ Lee take on Joanne Calderwood.
“It’s a good fight, I think they matched that one really good,” Mazo observed of the pairing. “I think she’s a really good fighter. But you know a fight is a fight. Anything can happen.”
“I like Andrea’s style to fight. But let’s see what happens. I’ll be watching that for sure,” she said. As for champ Valentina Shevchenko, it’s unclear who she’ll fight next.
“It’s a really new division, but that’s the good part,” Mazo told us. In fact the freshness might be part of the draw: anyone could emerge as a contender. “There’s new prospects, there’s more people. I don’t know who’s exactly next on the list, but I know a new generation’s coming, and I think we’re going to surprise.”
Watch our full interview with Sabina Mazo at LFA 74 above!
