Las Vegas – UFC flyweight Valentina Shevchenko isn’t really worried about facing Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC in front of a pro-Mexican crowd on Saturday night.
“The concern is like to finish the fight. This is number one. When to seize the opportunity to just do what you have to do like 100% finish the fight,” Shevchenko told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“I’ve been in martial arts for 31 years. I started when I was 5-years-old to train. Definitely in all my career I was fighting so many places, so many different fighters, in their home countries.”
Shevchenko (23-4-1) told a story about fighting for a world Muay Thai championship where she didn’t just have to face her opponent, but seemingly the referee as well.
“When I had to fight, not only against opponent (and) crowd, but I had world Muay Thai championship where (I) had to , not fight but ‘fight’, against the referee. There was a woman referee who was actually like doing everything (to help my opponent win),” she said.
“Taking points from me, prohibit the permitted technique, so she invented that I cannot do it. She was trying to do that, and no matter what, I won the fight. You know when she was raising my arm she said ‘You’re very lucky.'”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Valentina Shevchenko above. She takes on Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC on Saturday night.