VALENTINA SHEVCHENKO HAS retained her flyweight title via judges’ decision after dominating Liz Carmouche in a five-round battle at UFC Uruguay.
The defending champion looked comfortable throughout as she outclassed the American, with the judges unanimously scoring the fight 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 in Shevchenko’s favour.
Carmouche elected to use defensive tactics in the opening two rounds as the champion landed most of the meaningful shots to edge into the lead.
Shevchenko then secured a knockdown in the final two minutes of the third round, sending the challenger to the canvas with a swift combination to the face.
She chose to kick at the legs instead of charging in although the pair did engage in a bit of grappling later in that round.
Shevchenko was still unable to finish the fight but she continued to hold her advantage throughout the concluding rounds to complete her second straight title defense.
What a performance! 👏
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 11, 2019
Who's next for @BulletValentina after #UFCUruguay? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zuNdx6Upmp
“My strategy was to use all my skills to defend her,” Shevchenko was quoted by MMA Fighting as saying after her victory.
“She has very uncommon techniques, style and timing. So I did everything to assure my victory inside the cage.”
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