Not often the UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is a underdog during a title defense, but then again Manon Fiorot is no run-of-the-mill challenger who got her shot at gold at UFC 315 on Saturday night.
Shevchenko (24-4-1) had a legendary 7 consecutive title defense streak snapped when she lost the belt to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 in March 2023. Two bouts later she got it back from Grasso at UFC 306, and looked to start another defense streak at UFC 315.
Fiorot (12-1) has been campaigning for a title shot for years now. Wins over Mayra Bueno Silva, Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield punched her title for a fight against Bullet.
Round 1 Fiorot came out aggressive as usual trying to take the fight to Shevchenko. She walked right into the champions strikes quite a bit early forcing her to step back the consider her approach.
Fiorot walked into more right hands from Shevchenko causing a major bleed from her nose. The champ landed a big right hook that she used to go right into a takedown and took top position. Shevchenko began her usual strategy of softening her opponent to the body trying to flatten her out.
Fiorot spent the rest of the round on her back and Shevchenko scored points on the challenger.
Round 2 Fiorot looked lost for lack of a better term. She continued to rush in to land on the champion and constantly got countered. Shevchenko went in for a takedown, got it, but Fiorot was able to reverse it and get back to her feet.
Fiorot shot in for a takedown of her own and got Shevchenko to the fence. Making her carry her weight she continued to try to get it, but the champ broke the grips. Fiorot landed an elbow on the break.
With just under a minute left in the round Fiorot got a takedown and sat the champ down with her back on the fence. Shevchenko just waited the rest of the round out while landing short shots on the challenger.
The round ended with what would have been an illegal knee to the head by Fiorot had the champ not blocked it.
Round 3 Fiorot came out less aggressive, but shot in for a takedown pretty early. Shevchenko stuffed it. They clinched shortly after and Fiorot landed three good knees to the body.
Fiorot’s game plan had to change and she did a great job to make the champion carry her weight a lot. The rest of the round was Fiorot shooting and looking for takedowns and then landing on the breaks when they didn’t work.
Round 4 Shevchenko came out aggressive with kicks. Fiorot tried to match the attacks, but realized quickly her best avenue is the grappling. Shevchenko did well to use her footwork to avoid some of the takedowns.
Shevchenko dropped Fiorot at the very end of the 4th round. 10 more seconds and this fight might have been over.
Round 5 Fiorot put a lot pressure on Shevchenko to start the round, but the champ countered her well. She still didn’t back off as she must have felt she needed a definitive performance in the last round of the fight.
Fiorot punched her way into a clinch and put the champion on the fence. The rest of the fight was a clinch battle with strikes landing in close. This one was going to be close on the cards regardless of who won.
Official Result: Valentina Shevchenko def. Manon Fiorot via Unanimous Decision (48-47×3)
