UFC Women`s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko recently expressed her desire to address comments made by a former fighter.
Shevchenko, widely recognized as one of the most accomplished female mixed martial artists ever, is currently enjoying her continued reign atop the 125-pound division.
After regaining her title with a dominant victory over Alexa Grasso last September, Shevchenko successfully defended her championship at UFC 315.
Manon Fiorot was the challenger hoping to end the Kyrgyz fighter`s dominance, but ultimately lost the bout via judges` decision at UFC 315.
While Shevchenko secured the win in Montreal, her performance and demeanor didn`t impress everyone.
Valentina Shevchenko Addresses Chael Sonnen`s Ongoing Criticism
As often happens following a Valentina Shevchenko fight, former UFC title contender Chael Sonnen was quick to share his views on the long-reigning champion.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel titled `Chael has a problem with Valentina Shevchenko`, Sonnen alleged that the champion is not being genuine with fans, described her as “not a nice girl,” and even humorously speculated she might be a spy.
Shevchenko pushed back against these claims during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, playfully suggesting she would like to meet `The Bad Guy` in person.
“I don’t know what’s going on with Chael and what his problem is with me,” Shevchenko stated. “I am a nice person! I am not a spy!”
She continued, “Talking to me, do you feel I`m a bad person? … All our conversation is online. I would like to meet him and ask directly what he thinks and what his problem is with me.”
She concluded with a direct message: “Chael Sonnen, let’s find out what your problem is with me.”
Sonnen Had Expressed Discontent With Shevchenko Previously
It appears Sonnen`s issues with Shevchenko and her approach as a champion extend beyond the recent UFC 315 event.
In addition to frequently dismissing her perceived “star power” within the promotion, the American commentator also criticized how she handled the post-fight interview after winning the title back last year.
During an episode of his show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier, Sonnen admitted he was disappointed by Shevchenko`s failure to acknowledge Manon Fiorot as the clear next contender.
“I think it’s clear that Fiorot is next. She was almost ready for the fight that night. And after the fight, Valentina went in a different direction. She wanted to thank Hunter Campbell and Dana White instead of calling out an opponent,” Sonnen explained.
He added, “I felt for Fiorot. Going through licensing, medicals, training camp, weight cut, and there`s no opportunity [for the next fight], which means there`s no big check to share with your team. At a minimum, there could have been a callout. … On a human level, to some extent, it bothered me.”
Whether Shevchenko and Sonnen will resolve their public disagreement remains uncertain. If not, it`s likely Sonnen will continue to share his critical perspectives.
