What happened to Valentina?

[Joshuaace]

She was on a solo breakaway from the Peloton for a long time. The Chase group is catching her finally. Respect! She had a good long ride out front.

 

[old school 2]

It is probably a 29 year old beating a 35 year old which generally happens in MMA when both are great fighters but I prefer to think it is the Gods of MMA granting us fresh fights in a stale division.

 

[HHJ]

She says shes been training martial arts for 30 yrs. Eventually people are gonna catch up to you.

 

[Here's Johnny!]

She turns 35 tomorrow, I think age is a factor. In the men's divisions, there has never been a 35+ year-old in the LW or under weight classes who has won a title fight, and I believe it's also the case in the female weight classes. At those lighter weights, as soon as the speed start to decline slightly (which happens to everyone in mid-30's), it makes a huge impact and things can start to go downhill fast.

She's also a true lifetime martial artist who has been competing in martial arts for literally 30 years. She probably had well over 100 Muay Thai/kickboxing fights before her long UFC career. Her body just isn't responding the same it way it did in her prime, and there seems to be some mental fatigue there as well. She still has the skills to beat someone like Grasso, but she's making errors that she never used to make.

You just made me very sad. I just lost hope in my boy Henry Cejudo...

 

[HHJ]

Don't get me wrong Alexa is good and she is tough and has heart

But if you look who Valentina's resume. Something ain't right. She has fought the very very best and beat them so either her time is up and it was a really off night

If you put Grasso against Nunes and Holm she would get ktfo

Holm aint ko'in anybody. Other than Rousey,You gotta be a D level fighter for that to happen.

 

[Observer414]

Who cares. I'm just glad there is new blood. She only fought once a year. It's nice to have a new up and coming fighter win it, hopefully be more active, etc.
I'm sure Val get's an immediate rematch but she looked lost on the ground so I don't know what would change.

 

[KantoTerror]

Definitely on the decline...Grasso isn't special...just a durable fighter with a good gameplan...it's exciting to see a new champ...she'll have her hands full.... lots of great contenders...Manon and Erin Blanchfield will give her problems...

 

[Jitter]

Val has been training 30yrs she says. That is a lot of wear, tear, and discipline in general. She is probably past her physical prime and that is not counting the mental aspect of it. Its hard to stay at the top as long as she has. This loss may rejuvenate her or she just might decide she has had enough. Some of the girls coming up are also pretty good.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

Who cares. I'm just glad there is new blood. She only fought once a year. It's nice to have a new up and coming fighter win it, hopefully be more active, etc.
I'm sure Val get's an immediate rematch but she looked lost on the ground so I don't know what would change.

What? Valentina was very active. I think you're thinking of Rose.

 

[Royce's Gi]

Hope this is a learning experience for EVERY fighter


NEVER do a Weidman Spinning Backkick, it will be exploited to the fullest

 

[T-dog.1337]

What do you guys think? Is she really old now and past her prime or she just had an off night ?

Because ain't no fucking way in hell that the same Valentina who took Holm, Joanna and Nunes to school at stand-up is going to be losing against these caliber of fighters now

Grasso ain't that good, something was wrong with Valentina

What do you guys think?

I wanna read the other replies but I think I know what happened so imagine just say it instead of adding on to what others have to say.

I think she was trying to have an impressive and exciting win, underestimated her opponent, Alexa Grasso, in the process. There's a video Henry cejudo uploaded he said the possible upset of this match could happen by valentina bringing swords when she should be brining knives. This is basically the same conclusion I've come to, except he predicted it beforehand.

 

[TempleoftheDog]

What do you guys think? Is she really old now and past her prime or she just had an off night ?

Because ain't no fucking way in hell that the same Valentina who took Holm, Joanna and Nunes to school at stand-up is going to be losing against these caliber of fighters now

Grasso ain't that good, something was wrong with Valentina

What do you guys think?

I think you’re in denial, pal. She is BEYOND arrogant. And people like you probably play a large part in that. She doesn’t accept her losses so why should you. It’s just a big circle jerk.

She lost to Taila, and you don’t acknowledge the headbutt that kept Shevchenko in that fight. She broke Taila’s orbital with it.. Remember? Exactly the way you don’t acknowledge the headbutt Pena caught Amanda with causing damage.

You are not honest at all. Plain and simple. How many threads are you going to spam the boards with this week?

She’s a duck. Is unbelievably disrespectful to her opponents. And is perfect in every way, apparently. Shevchenko got what she deserved. And you’re both salty as can be. That’s mma dude. Deal with it.

Big pride, equals big fall. And Alexa isn’t a shit talker. She won fair and square. Zero controversy. Let her enjoy her moment in the sun. She won the UFC belt by finishing Shevchenko. That’s in the record books forever.

 

[HHJ]

Valentina is absolutely arrogant,but most of the time what she is saying is true

Some people,the runner ups and the second places,dont like that

 

[Mittens]

Aren't you the same sorry bastard who wrote that weird post about Grasso where you called her "baby" in every sentence? Angry that she did not register to Sherdog and reply to you?

Baby youre cute and all but they put you as the main event for a reason and everybody was talking about how if she wins the fights she could be the possible title contender

They put her in that spot and she was supposed to call Valentina Shevchenko out and ask gor that title shot. Ask for the title shot baby, they put u in there for a reason.
Tf?

Now if Fiorot gets a W and call out the champ and they give her the title shot, dont complain the. Youre supposed to play that role baby

Why she didnt do that? She might be scared of a fight with Valentina?

Anyway, grow the hell up - Grasso is peaking and finally realizing her potential, she knew what she was doing when Val threw the spinning kick. It was a good fight and good entertainment. People win, people lose. It's sports.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Val isn't used to being hit clean and panicked

 

[felmmando]

she got complacent. spinning shit doesn't work well in title fights

Unless you're Uriah Hall.

 

[Guffman]

Who cares. I'm just glad there is new blood. She only fought once a year. It's nice to have a new up and coming fighter win it, hopefully be more active, etc.
I'm sure Val get's an immediate rematch but she looked lost on the ground so I don't know what would change.

That happened only once (last year) since she's been in the UFC.

 

[mudrubble]

What do you guys think? Is she really old now and past her prime or she just had an off night ?

Because ain't no fucking way in hell that the same Valentina who took Holm, Joanna and Nunes to school at stand-up is going to be losing against these caliber of fighters now

Grasso ain't that good, something was wrong with Valentina

What do you guys think?

I'm not going to say Grasso isn't that good but I will agree wholeheartedly that Saturday's Valentina was soft, tired, unfocused and one step behind the Valentina of 1.5 yrs ago.

I don't know if it was injury during camp, distractions, loss of passion, or age - but that was not the Valentina we know. Sucking air in the 2nd round and laying on a woman and catching her breath.... that is not the Valentina we know. Not sure why.

 

[HHJ]

I'm not going to say Grasso isn't that good but I will agree wholeheartedly that Saturday's Valentina was soft, tired, unfocused and one step behind the Valentina of 1.5 yrs ago.

I don't know if it was injury during camp, distractions, loss of passion, or age - but that was not the Valentina we know. Sucking air in the 2nd round and laying on a woman and catching her breath.... that is not the Valentina we know. Not sure why.

Yep. Felt that right away

 

[mudrubble]

I think both of you are right....she's getting older and constantly tacking on the training/fight miles, and as the top dog I'd guess most serious contenders have seen more Valentina fight footage than Valentina herself.

I think the other part that's always at play with dominant champions is apathy/boredom/whatever you want to call it. "OMG WHY DID JONES STRUGGLE WITH REYES AND OSP AND SANTOS WHEN HE SMASHED GANE?" I think boredom or lack of stimulation is inevitable when you are perpetually just better than everyone. I bet you can find examples of this with every long-standing UFC champion, from Anderson to GSP to Nunes to Aldo (though prior to Conor he really didn't look beatable).

I like Valentina, so I'm pretty pumped to see if she's truly on the path of being shot....or if she'd just got complacent.

I'll say that doing a camp in Tokyo sounds a little bit distracted, but what do I know?