Valentina Shevchenko made her first title defense of her second flyweight reign at UFC 315, where she defeated Manon Fiorot. With the win, Shevchenko became just the sixth fighter in UFC history to compete in 10 or more title fights. Many in the MMA community, including Conor McGregor, praised Shevchenko, also known as “The Bullet,” after the event.
Conor McGregor Gives Massive Compliment to Valentina Shevchenko
After Shevchenko’s unanimous win over Fiorot, McGregor praised the 37-year-old as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He reposted the UFC’s Instagram story showing Shevchenko walking into the venue and added: “Valentina ‘Bullet’ Shevchenko is simply otherworldly! Magnificent female fighter. The GOAT female for me.”
While Shevchenko has dominated her division, most fans still view Amanda Nunes as the women’s MMA GOAT. “The Bullet” faced Nunes twice at bantamweight before the UFC introduced a women’s flyweight division.
Their first fight came at UFC 196, where Nunes won by unanimous decision. The rematch at UFC 215 — this time with Nunes as bantamweight champ — was much closer, ending in a split decision loss for Shevchenko.
Looking ahead, Shevchenko has teased interest in two potential matchups: a superfight with strawweight champ Zhang Weili or a showdown with Natalia Silva, who beat Alexa Grasso at UFC 315. Shevchenko mentioned both options during her post-fight press conference.
Meanwhile, McGregor remains on the sidelines. The 36-year-old hasn’t fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in 2021. While he’s hinted at a comeback, he’s stayed active outside the cage, from promoting BKFC to getting involved in Irish politics.
McGregor Seemingly Throws Shade at Active UFC Stars
McGregor was one of the sport’s most electric fighters during his peak. His knockout power and showmanship made him a global star.
Recently, he appeared to take a jab at UFC contenders Umar Nurmagomedov, Merab Dvalishvili, and Ilia Topuria. McGregor shared an image on his Instagram story comparing their KO totals to his own.
Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili, and Topuria had 2, 3, and 6 knockouts, respectively. McGregor? Nineteen.
Only two of McGregor’s UFC bouts have gone the distance. The first came at UFC Fight Night 26, where he beat Max Holloway in a featherweight bout despite suffering an ACL injury. The second was his welterweight win over Nate Diaz at UFC 202, which ended in a majority decision.
Shevchenko’s legacy keeps growing, and with McGregor backing her as the GOAT, the spotlight’s only getting brighter. Whether it’s a superfight or a title defense, “The Bullet” isn’t done making history in the Octagon just yet.