Final Preventing Championship (UFC) girls’s Flyweight elites Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Andrade will battle this weekend (Sat., April 24, 2021) at UFC 261 inside Vystar Veterans Memorial Enviornment in Jacksonville, Florida.
It didn’t take lengthy in any respect for Shevchenko to run by means of the Flyweight ranks like a sizzling knife by means of butter. She’s already racked up 4 title defenses, necessitating athletes from Strawweight and Bantamweight alike to make the transfer and supply a brand new problem. Andrade — a former 115-pound champion — could be very doubtless the most effective of that bunch. Regardless of as soon as preventing at Strawweight, Andrade is definitely one of the highly effective girls in her new division, and he or she’ll pit that power towards the ultra-technical champion.
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the keys to victory for every girl:
Valentina Shevchenko
File: 19-Three
Key Wins: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 231), Holly Holm (UFC on FOX 20), Katlyn Chookagian (UFC 247), Liz Carmouche (UFC Battle Evening 157), Julianna Pena (UFC on FOX 23), Sarah Kaufman (UFC on FOX 17)
Key Losses: Amanda Nunes (UFC 215, UFC 196)
Keys to Victory: Shevchenko simply is perhaps essentially the most environment friendly athlete within the sport. She wastes little or no motion or power, executing clinch takedowns and head kicks alike with exact timing.
The important thing to defeating Andrade is making use of angles. The Brazilian solely is aware of the best way to combat shifting ahead, throwing mixtures of hooks to the pinnacle and physique. They’re actually harmful punches, however they’re thrown on a straight line, and good strikers — like Rose Namajunas and Jedrzejczyk — are in a position to decide off these photographs by side-stepping/pivoting then touchdown.
Shevchenko is sort of good at doing simply that. In actual fact, she nearly decapitated Jessica Eye by stepping backward at an angle then ripping kicks. A number of sharp liver kicks will gradual even essentially the most decided bruiser, so kicking the physique appears a wise alternative. Equally, taking an angle together with her favourite test hook appears very more likely to work properly and arrange energy photographs.
Regardless of Andrade’s highly effective takedowns, counter takedowns as Andrade crashes ahead doesn’t appear a nasty thought. “Bate Estaca” actually throws herself into her energy punches, and Shevchenko is sort of good at utilizing such momentum to realize high place.
Jessica Andrade
File: 21-Eight
Key Wins: Rose Namajunas (UFC 237), Katlyn Chookagian (UFC Battle Island 6), Claudia Gadelha (UFC Battle Evening 117), Karolina Kowalkiewicz (UFC 228), Tecia Torres (UFC on FOX 28), Joanne Calderwood (UFC 205), Angela Hill (UFC Battle Evening 104)
Key Losses: Weili Zhang (UFC Battle Evening 157), Rose Namajunas (UFC 251), Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 211)
Keys to Victory: Andrade is an absolute powerhouse. She rips punches with unhealthy intentions, and any time Andrade is ready to get her arms wrapped round her opponent, they’re doubtless going for a high-amplitude trip.
If Andrade goes to win this combat, it’s going to be from shut distance. She can’t compete with “Bullet” at distance, however from the telephone sales space vary? Andrade can commerce hooks with any girl on the roster, and her energy takedowns are very tough to cease.
Particularly, the clinch alongside the fence is the place to be. Jennifer Maia is neither as sturdy nor as harmful as “Bate Estaca,” however the Brazilian was nonetheless capable of finding moments of success by jamming Shevchenko into the cage and dealing for takedowns. If Andrade can constantly herd her foe into the fence, a lot of Shevchenko’s Muay Thai trickery can be nullified.
As a substitute, she’ll be compelled right into a grueling warfare of attrition with a girl identified for power and an infinite fuel tank.
Backside Line
That is essentially the most official problem to Shevchenko’s throne since Joanna Jedrzejzczyk.
Shevchenko’s downside is primarily that she’s dominated most of her division. She’s all the time susceptible to operating out of contenders or scraping the underside of the barrel. This match up is an exception — Andrade is a former champion, a identified expertise. That will make it a extra harmful combat for the champion, nevertheless it additionally earns her extra recognition in victory.
In the meantime, Andrade has a completely large alternative right here! For one, changing into the primary fighter handy Shevchenko a loss at 125 kilos is gigantic. “Bullet” has solely misplaced to Amanda Nunes contained in the Octagon, and “Lioness” had a big measurement benefit. For Andrade to beat Shevchenko in her ideally suited weight class is a completely totally different accomplishment, and it might additionally make her the second two-division champion within the historical past of ladies’s MMA.
Andrade will get disrespected by followers fairly a bit as a consequence of her brawny model, however defeating Shevchenko would show the final word comeback.
Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC 261 combat card proper here, beginning with the early ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard stability on ESPN/ESPN+ at Eight p.m. ET, earlier than the PPV major card begin time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To take a look at the newest and best UFC 261: “Usman vs. Masvidal 2” information and notes make sure to hit up our complete occasion archive right here.
At UFC 261, Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Andrade will duel for the Flyweight title. Which girl will earn the win?