New York, NY — Women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko shut down her emotions coming into Fight Week, she clarified during Wednesday’s UFC 322 media day.
The two-time women’s 125lb champion had been asked about blocking out emotions during training camp, but admitted that would be too tall of an order.
“No, it’s like emotion, do not have emotions during the fight week. Because it’s impossible to not have any emotions during training camp,” Shevchenko (25-4-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press on hand in New York City. “Training camp, it’s a long time. And you have roller coasters where you cannot sleep during the night, you think about the fight, you’re analyzing all the fights of your opponent— it’s work. It’s hard work.”
Rather than emotion, during Fight Week, Shevchenko is channeling “steady energy,” she added. “This is the most important [thing] for me. Steady energy.”
When it comes to her opponents, it’s a “cold study” that Shevchenko tries to carry out. The study this time around has been on former strawweight champ Weili Zhang, who vacated her 115lb title to pursue another belt against “Bullet.”
Shevchenko knows how good Zhang is, by virtue of being a UFC champion. She was not willing to discredit any of her former title challengers and declare Zhang her biggest threat, however, noting they were all fighting in the best organization in the world.
UFC 322 marks the first time Valentina Shevchenko will fight in New York’s famed Madison Square Garden. On her hopes for her first fight at the famed venue, the 37-year old lifelong martial artist said that “I don’t want to leave anything that I will regret after. And I want to show the beauty of martial arts, as I said. To show not only who has stronger head or something like that, but the beauty of martial arts.”
On the city itself, it’s a return of sorts for Shevchenko. Despite not having fought in the city, Shevchenko does have history with it. “New York for me is a very special place. I spent here, many different occasions, many times in this beautiful city. Especially I spent here, a few years ago, filming with Halle Berry, her directorial debut, Bruised.” Shevchenko spent two months filming in the city, she added.
Watch the full UFC 322 media day appearance by Valentina Shevchenko above.
