Valentina's Title Reign Will End On Saturday

[Luthien]

Valentina by destruction

 

[markantony20]

Maybe. But even so Val is still my favourite fighter in the women’s roster.

 

[kungfu_taichi]

Shevchenko's biggest risk, is that she's 'fallen' into beating you at your own game.

She submitted Pena,
She fought Holm at range. (Except when she took her down and elbowed her in the face.)
She fought Chookagian at range. then (see above)
She grappled with maia.
She put Jessica Andrade where I KNOW her corner is going, "Too Fukcing Strong. We need something else."
She treated Jesica Eye like a math problem.
She treated Lauren Murphy like a knock-around girl. (Ten points if you get the reference.)

2nd biggest risk?

Nothing to prove.

She'll get the Nunes 3 if she asks for it.
She'll get the Pena 2 if she asks for it.

So..... TREAT THIS FIGHT THE WAY YOU'VE TREATED EVERY OTHER FIGHT......

People will be watching Valentina Shevchenko tapes for twenty years, looking for tips. She personifies 'Professional'. It's MMA, anything can happen. But do NOT bet on Santos unless you can afford to lose the money.

 

[PurpleStorm]

It’s a crazy sport. But Shevchenko is the best technical female fighter on the planet. And no girl at 125 has yet to be a serious challenge.

Id love to see a new champ to shake things up. That’s what makes SW so much fun. But I don’t see it happening.

Yeah that’s exactly how I feel.

 

[Mayonnaiseandjelly]

No way.
When decorated strikers like Joanna and much bigger Holly couldn't do nothing against Valentina on the feet, there is no reason to believeTaila can.
Valentina fought a much harder hitter in Nunes who couldn't do nothing with that power in two fights and Valentina outstruck her in terms of head strikes in both fights.

Also. Val has taken down everyone she's ever fought in the UFC including much bigger Nunes and Holm. Again there is no reason to believe she can't do that to Taila.
One of the best anti wrestlers in wmma history in Joanna was taken down multiple times.

Holly’s striking sucks ass, point blank. Joanna’s striking has no power and is extremely predictable.

 

[StonedLemur]

Taila Santos is going to take Valentina down during the first three rounds, control her, and bank those three rounds. The last two times Valentina was taken down (Maia & Pena) she did not get up. There is no reason to expect her to get back to her feet against a fighter with heavier top pressure and who she knows will be looking to take her back in a scramble.

On the feet Santos presents a greater power threat than any opponent Valentina has faced since Amanda Nunes. Valentina is one of the best technical strikers in the UFC so a finish is unlikely to materialize there. She will though need to respect the power of an opponent with 3 knockdowns in their last two fights and ten career knockouts. Valentina is normally able to strike with impunity as her opponents possess far inferior technical skills and lack the ability to finish her. Josiane Nunes (BW), with arguably the heaviest hands of any woman in the UFC, was forced to respect the power of Santos in what was the only loss of her career.

Valentina has almost exclusively been fighting technical strikers whose skills were inferior everywhere, posed no TD threat, and who lacked the ability to finish her. On Saturday she will instead be fighting the first opponent since Amanda Nunes with a size advantage, grappling advantage, and the ability to finish her anywhere. Santos will slow down towards the end of the fight and lose the last two rounds but will still win 48-47 comfortably.

This will be nothing like Julianna Pena beating Amanda Nunes as it has been a long time coming and easy to see coming from a mile away. Don't throw away your money on Valentina thinking she is a lock to win, she is absolutely not, and those who light their money on fire betting on her will be losing alot.

She will be a tough out that's for sure, but I think Valentina has the experience to make the necessary reads.

 

[Shay Brennan]

I never said Santos was going to cause Shevchenko any trouble on the feet. Valentina will though respect the power of Taila Santos and strike more conservatively due to the power coming back at her.

Santos's path to victory is taking Valentina down during the first three rounds, controlling her, and putting Valentina in a situation where she needs a finish to win heading into the championship rounds; where Santos will slow down due to average cardio and inexperience.

Valentina has not been fighting opponents that presented a credible TD threat. She has been fighting technical strikers with inferior skills anywhere the fight went. All of the similarly elite opponents Valentina has fought at FLW (Joanna, Andrade) were SWs coming up a division not natural BWs that are fighting down a division. Santos should have an appreciable strength advantage over Valentina which will allow her to control Valentina once she grounds her.

You're probably reffering to that one and only time Val actually showed a weakness at flw and that is her failed takedown attempt against Maia.
Maia wasn't the one to initiate a successfull takedown against Val. It was Val who tried a trip against the fence and failed, landing in guard if I remember correctly.
Therefor her td defense is perfect at flw.

More importantly, what makes you think that Val can't take her down. Val has taken down much bigger Nunes, Pena and Holm.

 

[CPH]

 

[Askafan]

Taila's pre UFC record is a bit shady, 15-0 against mainly unknowns ... and her UFC record isn't that great either, that loss against Borella then points victories over Meatball, Robertson and Modafferi. She did get the first round finish over Calderwood, but 3 of Joanne's last 5 opponents have finished her in the first.

Of course anything can happen in mma, but to think that the Santos challenge is a step-up from Murphy, Andrade, Chookagian or even Eye is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Mask Of Winters]

I slogged through four pages of this to find out what Ares Black thinks about this, and now I'm just disappointed.

 

[UFCIsNOTRigged]

Taila's pre UFC record is a bit shady, 15-0 against mainly unknowns ... and her UFC record isn't that great either, that loss against Borella then points victories over Meatball, Robertson and Modafferi. She did get the first round finish over Calderwood, but 3 of Joanne's last 5 opponents have finished her in the first.

Of course anything can happen in mma, but to think that the Santos challenge is a step-up from Murphy, Andrade, Chookagian or even Eye is a bit of a stretch.

How can you call Taila's pre-ufc record shady when she debuted against the heaviest handed woman currently in the UFC Josiane Nunes while Valentina supposedly debuted against someone with no other fights when she was 15 years old?

You creepy Valentina fanboys are about to be in for for a massive shock when Santos beats down your queen.

 

[UncleChester]

On Saturday, Val with a head kick ko in the 2nd, and I ain't betting anything, but if I get it right...!

 

[CatchtheseHands]

Didn't bother reading. Just Lol.

 

[asdf122345]

Its likely it could happen. The year of championship upsets. Izzy is next if Valentina loses.

 

[BROWNPRIDE]

No it won’t bump this Saturday night!

 

[BetoG695]

What does JaRule think about this????

 

[Askafan]

How can you call Taila's pre-ufc record shady when she debuted against the heaviest handed woman currently in the UFC Josiane Nunes while Valentina supposedly debuted against someone with no other fights when she was 15 years old?

You creepy Valentina fanboys are about to be in for for a massive shock when Santos beats down your queen.

One swallow doesn't make a summer ..... not a Val fan btw, as I'm sure the Simpchenkos would confirm.

 

[jeskola]

Taila Santos is going to take Valentina down during the first three rounds, control her, and bank those three rounds. The last two times Valentina was taken down (Maia & Pena) she did not get up. There is no reason to expect her to get back to her feet against a fighter with heavier top pressure and who she knows will be looking to take her back in a scramble.

On the feet Santos presents a greater power threat than any opponent Valentina has faced since Amanda Nunes. Valentina is one of the best technical strikers in the UFC so a finish is unlikely to materialize there. She will though need to respect the power of an opponent with 3 knockdowns in their last two fights and ten career knockouts. Valentina is normally able to strike with impunity as her opponents possess far inferior technical skills and lack the ability to finish her. Josiane Nunes (BW), with arguably the heaviest hands of any woman in the UFC, was forced to respect the power of Santos in what was the only loss of her career.

Valentina has almost exclusively been fighting technical strikers whose skills were inferior everywhere, posed no TD threat, and who lacked the ability to finish her. On Saturday she will instead be fighting the first opponent since Amanda Nunes with a size advantage, grappling advantage, and the ability to finish her anywhere. Santos will slow down towards the end of the fight and lose the last two rounds but will still win 48-47 comfortably.

This will be nothing like Julianna Pena beating Amanda Nunes as it has been a long time coming and easy to see coming from a mile away. Don't throw away your money on Valentina thinking she is a lock to win, she is absolutely not, and those who light their money on fire betting on her will be losing alot.

Talia's record is padded AF, she will lose.

 

[Laheys'Liquorland]

That you Nunes?

 

[r-harper-1]

Santos is the most dangerous challenger….she’s an athlete and is big / strong for the weight …..Still gonna be tough