The Pro Take: Valentina Shevchenko Mauls Andrade at UFC 261 to Retain Flyweight Title

By
Justin Gibbons
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UFC 261 Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko, UFC 261 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

The first of the three title fights for UFC 261 kicked off with Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jéssica Andrade, live from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jéssica Andrade’s dismantling of Katlyn Chookagian at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Korean Zombie looked like it was enough to earn a shot at the champ Valentina Shevchenko. With the move up in weight, Andrade appeared to bring an unstoppable power to the division – and what a way to showcase that you are ready for being in a new division with your second fight coming against the current champ.

Since capturing the vacant UFC women’s Flyweight title back in 2018 at UFC 231, a fight that saw her go the distance against Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Valentina Shevchenko has been on a tear, wanting to solidify her status and legacy within the UFC as one of the best champions the sport has ever seen. With four title defenses, she was certainly on her way to proving that statement is not just talk. A win over a former champ like Jéssica Andrade, who is known to have some brutal finishes inside the Octagon, would further her legacy as one of the greats.

The Jacksonville crowd was clearly behind Valentina Shevchenko with their chants of “VALENTINA” on Saturday. Shevchenko used a tight body lock and once locked in, she continued to take Jéssica Andrade down at will. Valentina even shut down the one area that Andrade was supposedly advantageous in – the wrestling – setting up the crucifix, dropping elbows and punches until ref Dan Miragliotta stepped in to stop the fight in the second round.

PROS GIVE THEIR TAKE

Here is how the pros reacted to Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jéssica Andrade.

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