Latest news with #ValentinaShevchenko
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
UFC Vegas 107 Main Event: Blanchfield Vs. Barber Odds And Predictions
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 30: Erin Blanchfield prepares to face Manon Fiorot of France in a ... More flyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall Arena on March 30, 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The next fight card on the UFC schedule is UFC Vegas 197, which takes place on Saturday, May 31, from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the main event, two of the top-ranked competitors in the UFC women's flyweight division meet in a pivotal matchup. In that contest, the No. 4 ranked Erin Blanchfield faces the No. 5 ranked Maycee Barber. EDMONTON, ALBERTA - NOVEMBER 02: (L-R) Erin Blanchfield punches Rose Namajunas in a flyweight fight ... More during the UFC Fight Night event at Rogers Place on November 02, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Blanchfield (13-2) is the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC women's flyweight rankings. The 26-year-old Blanchfield was riding a nine-fight winning streak when she faced Manon Fiorot in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in March 2024. Fiorot won that bout with ease, ringing up three 50-45 scores from the judges. The victory earned Fiorot a UFC 315 matchup against UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, a bout Shevchenko won via decision. Blanchfield took a step back toward a title fight in November when she scored a decision win over former UFC women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Maycee Barber prepares to face Katlyn Cerminara in a flyweight fight ... More during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Barber (14-2) is the No. 5 fighter in the UFC women's 125-pound division. She opened her UFC career with a 3-2 record, but is undefeated since dropping back-to-back decisions to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso in 2020 and 2021. The 27-year-old Barber is riding a six-fight winning streak heading into UFC Vegas 107. Her most recent victory was a March 2024 decision win over Katlyn Cerminara. Barber was schedule to face Rose Namajunas in July 2024, but she dropped out of that fight due to illness. Barber later revealed she had Epstein-barr virus. In December she told Morning Kombat, "Everything's going great now. It has been a long journey. I was so bummed when – well, first of all, I was so excited to fight Rose because not only was I fighting Rose, but I was also fighting in Denver where I made my UFC debut. So for me, it was my first main event. "It was a very huge opportunity for me, and I was so excited and then I was devastated when I was told, 'Hey look, you're not going to fight on this card.' Obviously the health is more important. So I was very devastated, but I have made a lot of progress coming forward, and I can't wait to be back." EDMONTON, ALBERTA - NOVEMBER 02: Erin Blanchfield reacts after a victory against Rose Namajunas in a ... More flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Rogers Place on November 02, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) When the betting lines for Blanchfield and Barber opened, Blanchfield was listed as the -200 betting favorite over the +150 Barber. Today, Blanchfield is listed at -238, while Barber is the +203 betting underdog. Odds via BetOnline. ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 30: Erin Blanchfield prepares to face Manon Fiorot of France in a ... More flyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall Arena on March 30, 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Blanchfield uses pressure and striking to get the fight to the mat. While her strikes are not all that powerful, Blanchfield is not a fighter who looks for knockouts. Instead, Blanchfield uses her high-output striking attack to put her opponents on the back foot and then look for takedowns. In her last outing, Blanchfield attempted eight takedowns while picking up nearly nine minutes of control time. Barber is a better technical striker than Blanchfield, and she has four knockout wins under the UFC banner. She lands at a good clip and has better striking accuracy than Blanchfield, but her takedown defense is worrisome, as Andrea Lee went five-for-five in takedowns against Barber in 2023. The betting pick for the UFC Vegas 107 main event is for Blanchfield to be very active with her wrestling and ground control to pick up the decision win over Barber. We will have more on UFC Vegas 107 as fight-night approaches.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Vegas 107: Blanchfield Vs. Barber Full Fight Card
After a one-week break, the UFC returns to business on Saturday, May 31, for the UFC Vegas 107 fight card. The event, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, has a pivotal women's flyweight matchup at the top of the card. In that scrap, the No. 4 ranked Erin Blanchfield battles the No. 5 ranked Maycee Barber. Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ľudovít Klein Billy Ray Goff vs. Ko Seok-hyun Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Oban Elliott Zachary Reese vs. Duško Todorovi Jafel Filho vs. Allan Nascimento Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson Trevin Giles vs. Andreas Gustafsson Kurt Holobaugh vs. Jordan Leavitt MarQuel Mederos vs. Bolaji Oki Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean Blanchfield (13-2) is the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC women's flyweight rankings. The 26-year-old Blanchfield was riding a nine-fight winning streak when she faced Manon Fiorot in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in March 2024. Fiorot won that bout with ease, ringing up three 50-45 scores from the judges. The victory earned Fiorot a UFC 315 matchup against UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, a bout Shevchenko won via decision. Blanchfield took a step back toward a title fight in November when she scored a decision win over former UFC women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Barber (14-2) is the No. 5 fighter in the UFC women's 125-pound division. She opened her UFC career with a 3-2 record, but is undefeated since dropping back-to-back decisions to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso in 2020 and 2021. The 27-year-old Barber is riding a six-fight winning streak heading into UFC Vegas 107. Her most recent victory was a March 2024 decision win over Katlyn Cerminara. Barber was schedule to face Rose Namajunas in July 2024, but she dropped out of that fight due to illness. Barber later revealed she had Epstein-barr virus. In December she told Morning Kombat, "Everything's going great now. It has been a long journey. I was so bummed when – well, first of all, I was so excited to fight Rose because not only was I fighting Rose, but I was also fighting in Denver where I made my UFC debut. So for me, it was my first main event. "It was a very huge opportunity for me, and I was so excited and then I was devastated when I was told, 'Hey look, you're not going to fight on this card.' Obviously the health is more important. So I was very devastated, but I have made a lot of progress coming forward, and I can't wait to be back." We will have more on the UFC Vegas 107 fight card as fight night nears, including betting odds, picks, predictions and more. As well as full fight card results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Chael Sonnen urges Valentina Shevchenko to drop the "nice girl act" after UFC 315 title defence
Retired UFC fighter and analyst Chael Sonnen has complained about UFC Women's Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko's public persona despite her dominant performance at UFC 315 . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Chael Sonnen is of the opinion that 'The Bullet' has all it takes to be a mainstream star but lacks in marketing herself to the fans as she does not embrace her so-called natural 'heel' character, according to him. Sonnen believes Shevchenko should embrace a villainous persona Valentina Shevchenko defended her flyweight strap against Manon Fiorot by unanimous decision on May 10, 2025, at UFC 315, Montreal, thus extending her legendary career. After UFC 315, Chael Sonnen was a little sceptical about the way in which Valentina Shevchenko behaves in public, saying that her attempts to appear as a 'nice girl' are against what he thinks she really is. In his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen said that Valentina Shevchenko is more of a heel, or a villain in the world of MMA storytelling. Chael has a Problem with Valentina Shevchenko… The former UFC fighter and commentator contended that Valentina Shevchenko 's glorious background (fluency in seven languages, elite martial arts credentials, and alleged military training) provides a much more compelling picture than her current image. Chael Sonnen believes that an athlete like her, who has been dominant in several combat disciplines and hails from a family of fighters, does not need to start to soften her public image to appeal to the fans or increase her legacy. Record-breaking champion faces potential super fight opportunity Although Sonnen puts her marketing strategy under attack, Valentina Shevchenko keeps breaking records in the octagon. At 37, she was the oldest fighter to defend a title in the middleweight division after her UFC 315 win. This accomplishment put her in the ranks of the best, as she became the sixth fighter in UFC history to win ten title fights. The champion is now staring at a career-defining opportunity as UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili publicly challenges her after UFC 315. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Weili, who outpointed Tatiana Suarez in February, seems to be prepared to go up in weight to become a double-champion. "Congratulations to the champion. It has all come together perfectly, it's destiny,' Zhang Weili said on Instagram after the Valentina Shevchenko victory. Fans can watch the post-fight interview with Valentina Shevchenko and see the highlights of UFC 315 on the official UFC YouTube channel and UFC Fight Pass streaming service. Also Read: Despite criticism of her public persona, Valentina Shevchenko's in-ring dominance continues cementing her legacy as one of the greatest female fighters in mixed martial arts history.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monster Energy's Valentina Shevchenko Defeats Manon Fiorot to Defend UFC Women's Flyweight Title at UFC 315 in Montreal
37-Year-Old from Kyrgyzstan Earns Flyweight Title Defense Via Unanimous Decision Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius Defeats Jessica Andrade Via First-Round Submission, Earns UFC's $50,000 Performance of the Night Bonus MONTREAL, May 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Valentina remains unstoppable! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Valentina Shevchenko on defeating Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 in Montreal, Canada, on Saturday night. In the co-main event fight, the 37-year-old from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, earned a clear victory via unanimous decision after five grueling rounds. Earlier in the night's prelims, 36-year-old Jasmine Jasudavicius from St. Catharines, Canada, earned a first-round submission victory over Jessica Andrade in their Women's Flyweight Division bout. The dominant stoppage also garnered Jasudavicius the UFC's $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena was contested in front of a live crowd of 19,786 spectators inside sold-out Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Featuring two title fights on the Main Card, the event was broadcast on ESPN as pay-per-view programming. The prelims streamed on the ESPN+ platform. Monster Energy's Shevchenko (25-4) stepped into the Octagon on Saturday as the current UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. The MMA icon from Kyrgyzstan regained the title at UFC 306 in September 2024 by defeating Alexa Grasso. Shevchenko had previously held the belt from 2018 to 2023 and came to Montreal determined to continue her reign. Shevchenko's opponent, 35-year-old Fiorot (12-2) from Nice, France, stepped into the co-main event on a seven-fight victory streak. The Muay Thai expert had previously defeated Erin Blanchfield at a UFC Fight Night in March 2024 to earn her shot at challenging Shevchenko. In the opening round, Shevchenko dominated the challenger by landing controlled strikes at range and leaving Fiorot with a bloodied nose at the bell. But the next two rounds saw Fiorot fire back by earning takedowns and pressuring the champion into clinches against the fence. A dramatic scene unfolded at the end of Round 4 when Shevchenko sent Fiorot to the canvas with a hard counter right hand but was prevented from dealing further damage by the buzzer. In the fifth round, Shevchenko continued to land the most significant strikes, including spinning backfists that stung the title contender. When the dust settled, the judges named Shevchenko the winner by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47). The victory marks her tenth win in a UFC title fight and first successful title defense of the current UFC Women's Flyweight Championship belt. "I was expecting a hard fight; she's a good fighter," said Monster Energy's Valentina Shevchenko, adding: "I'm going to keep going. Age is nothing. What is more important is how you feel physically, mentally, and how you perform." What's next for Shevchenko? MMA media pundits are already floating Natalia Silva as the next title challenger, while other contenders are waiting on the sidelines. Stay tuned! Earlier on the UFC 315 Prelims Card, Monster Energy's Jasudavicius (14-3) from St. Catharines, Canada, collided with Brazil's Jessica Andrade (26-14) in a Women's Flyweight Division bout. Previously, Jasudavicius had won four consecutive fights, most recently beating Mayra Bueno Silva at a UFC Fight Night in February 2025. One more win could make the Canadian a title contender – and the opportunity arrived at UFC 315. From the start, Jasudavicius pressured Andrade, a former 115-pound champion, with aggressive pursuit. As the Brazilian tried to stand her ground, Jasudavicius proceeded to land strikes while systematically setting up a grappling finish. In the final minute of the opening round, Jasudavicius cracked Andrade by firing a one-two combo. Following up with a body lock and slamming the Brazilian to the ground, she secured the right position to ensure her victory. As Jasudavicius locked the rear-naked choke, it was all over for Andrade. At 2:40 minutes of Round 1, the referee ended the fight with as the winner by submission. "I knew she was going to be tough. But I knew that if I got her down, I'd find a finish," said Jasudavicius in Montreal, adding: "I'm just going for that number one spot. I'm down for whoever they put in front of me." The brutal submission victory also earned Jasudavicius the UFC's coveted $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the third time in her career. Stay tuned for more from Jasudavicius! Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Marlon Vera, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Giga Chikadze, Johnny Walker, Brendan Allen, Jalin Turner, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Patricio Pitbull, and Jasmine Jasudavicius. For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. About Monster EnergyBased in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 315 post-event facts: Valentina Shevchenko joins exclusive club with 10th title win
UFC 315 post-event facts: Valentina Shevchenko joins exclusive club with 10th title win The octagon returned to Montreal for the first time in more than 10 years on Saturday with UFC 315, which went down at the Bell Centre and featured two championship fights. The main event saw the third new champ of 2025 crowned with Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) outpointing Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) for the welterweight belt in the Fight of the Night, while in the co-headliner Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) defended her women's flyweight belt over Manon Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) by unanimous decision. For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie's post-event facts from UFC 315. Event stats The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $310,500. Della Maddalena, Muhammad, Jasmine Jasudavicius and Marc-Andre Barriault earned $50,000 UFC 315 fight-night bonuses. UFC 315 drew an announced attendance of 19,786 for a live gate of $6,003,345. Betting favorites went 7-5 on the card. Betting favorites improved to 10-6 in UFC headliners this year. Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:23:12. Jack Della Maddalena def. Belal Muhammad Della Maddalena became the 13th undisputed UFC welterweight champion. Della Maddalena extended his winning streak to 18 fights after starting his career 0-2. He hasn't suffered a defeat since May 2016. Della Maddalena's eight-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division. Muhammad has suffered three of his four career losses by decision. Valentina Shevchenko def. Manon Fiorot Shevchenko improved to 11-1-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in February 2018. Shevchenko's 10 victories in UFC women's flyweight championship fights are most in divisional history. Shevchenko's 10 victories in UFC women's championship fights are second-most in company history behind Amanda Nunes (11). Shevchenko's 10 victories in UFC championship fights are sixth-most in company history behind Jon Jones (16), Georges St-Pierre (13), Demetrious Johnson (12), Anderson Silva (11) and Nunes (10). Shevchenko's 11 victories in UFC women's flyweight competition are most in divisional history. Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown in 17 of her 18 UFC appearances. That includes in 13 consecutive bouts. Shevchenko's 49 takedowns landed in UFC women's flyweight competition are most in divisional history. Fiorot has suffered both of her career losses by decision. Aiemann Zahabi def. Jose Aldo Aiemann Zahabi (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has earned five of his seven UFC victories by decision. Jose Aldo (32-10 MMA, 14-9 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he returned from retirement in May 2024. Natalia Silva def. Alexa Grasso Natalia Silva's (19-5-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak at women's flyweight is the longest active streak in the division. Silva has earned five of her seven UFC victories by decision. Alexa Grasso (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) fell to 5-2-1 since she moved up to the UFC women's flyweight division in August 2020. Grasso has suffered four of her five career losses by decision. Benoit Saint Denis def. Kyle Prepolec Benoit Saint Denis (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage. Kyle Prepolec (18-9 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the UFC for a second stint. Prepolec has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by submission. Mike Malott def. Charlie Radtke Mike Malott (12-2-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has earned 11 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five UFC wins. Charlie Radtke (10-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout. Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Jessica Andrade Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) has earned all three of her UFC stoppage victories by submission. Jessica Andrade (26-14 MMA, 17-12 UFC) has suffered 10 of her 14 career losses by stoppage. Modestas Bukauskas def. Ion Cutelaba Modestas Bukauskas (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) improved 5-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2023. Ion Cutelaba (19-11-1 MMA, 8-10-1 UFC) fell to 4-7-1 in his past 12 UFC appearances dating back to February 2020. Navajo Stirling def. Ivan Erslan Navajo Stirling (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision. Ivan Erslan (14-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision. Marc-Andre Barriault def. Bruno Silva Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9 MMA, 6-8 UFC) has earned 12 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. Bruno Silva's (23-13 MMA, 4-7 UFC) five-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since April 2023. Silva has suffered nine of his 13 career losses by stoppage. Silva suffered the first knockout loss of his career. Daniel Santos def. Jeong Yeong Lee Jeong Yeong Lee (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision. Bekzat Almakhan def. Brad Katona Bekzat Almakhan (15-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned 14 of his 15 career victories by stoppage. Brad Katona (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with a knockout defeat. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
