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Valentina Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes have clashed twice inside the octagon thus far, with both matchups being contested in the bantamweight division. 'The Lioness' won both fights on the judges' scorecards. That said, the fights were close-contested, and many believe that Shevchenko was more deserving of the judges' nod in the rematch.
Their first fight transpired at UFC 196 on March 5th, 2016. It was a three-round non-title bout that witnessed Nunes outwork 'Bullet' in rounds one and two, while Shevchenko came back strong in round three. Nunes won that fight via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27).
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The following year, Amanda Nunes was the UFC women's bantamweight champion and was scheduled to defend her title against Valentina Shevchenko.
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Their rematch was a five-round title bout that headlined UFC 215 on September 9th, 2017. The fight saw Nunes and Shevchenko engage in what fans recall as being a high-level chess match, with neither athlete over-extending. They primarily engaged in a stand-up battle with minimal grappling exchanges.
The fight went the distance, and Nunes was declared the victor via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47), thereby successfully defending her title.
Judge Sal D'Amato scored rounds 1, 3, and 5 for Nunes -- handing her a 48-47 scorecard. Meanwhile, judge David Therjen awarded Nunes rounds 1, 2, and 5 -- giving her another 48-47 scorecard. The lone dissenting judge was Tony Weeks, who scored rounds 2, 3, and 5 for Shevchenko -- giving her a 48-47 scorecard.
Be that as it may, the MMA world was divided in its take regarding the official verdict, as many argued that 'Bullet' outworked Nunes for the better part of the fight and ought to have been awarded the decision victory. Fans and experts alike often argue about the verdict of Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 to this day.
Valentina Shevchenko on how she'll prepare for a potential Amanda Nunes trilogy fight
Reigning UFC women's flyweight (125-pound) champion Valentina Shevchenko is scheduled to defend her title against Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 on March 4th. Meanwhile, it's unclear as to who UFC women's bantamweight (135-pound) and featherweight (145-pound) champion Amanda Nunes will fight next. The consensus is that a possible Nunes-Shevchenko trilogy could transpire someday.
Back in late 2021, Valentina Shevchenko appeared on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast and suggested that she wouldn't lift heavy weights to increase her muscle mass to combat a size disadvantage against the bigger Nunes.
Shevchenko opined that adding too much weight to one's frame in two/three months makes a fighter slower, as their body isn't naturally used to carrying that much weight. Explaining how she'll prepare for a potential trilogy against Nunes, 'Bullet' stated:
"You're gonna be slower. You're not gonna have same resistance for the whole fight. So I will do the same. I just want to do the last day weight cut like what I do for 125 (pounds). I will just eat normally as I do and train the same way as I do."
Watch Valentina Shevchenko's assessment below:
