December 21, 2024

Valentina Shevchenko shows off gnarly post-training elbow bruises

MMAfighting.com

It has been nearly two months, but Valentina Shevchenko’s elbows are still not the same.

The UFC women’s flyweight star put a hearty beatdown on Priscila Cachoeira en route to a second-round TKO finish at UFC Belem on Feb. 3. For nearly two rounds, Shevchenko peppered Cachoeira with ground-and-pound until referee Mario Yamasaki finally — many would say tardily — called the fight off at 4:25 of the second.

In an Instagram video Friday, Shevchenko said she finished her training and was wondering why her elbow was hurting her. She said she couldn’t believe that her right elbow was still injured from that last fight.

“I was thinking, No, I cannot believe that it’s still after from my last in Belem, I still have this injury on my elbow,” she said.

Then, she took off her rash guard and showed off her weapon of choice — the badly, badly bruised joint. Ouch.

“This is what I have — full-of-bruises elbow,” Shevchenko said with a laugh.

Shevchenko (15-3), the former top contender at women’s bantamweight, is in line for a flyweight title shot against champion Nicco Montaño. No date has been set yet for that title fight, but Shevchenko is the clear No. 1 contender and one of the best women’s fighters in the world, regardless of weight class.

Shevchenko, 30, only has two losses in the UFC, both very close decisions against bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes.

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