My coach has taught me since 5 years old, and he stresses not just the quality of training but the mental part. Technique and the mental game have to mesh, balance.
— Valentina Shevchenko
I know my strengths. I know what I'm good at.
In the fight, we are fighters, but after, we have respect for each other.
If you can see all my life, I've been training since a very young age. I've been competing in so many different competitions, so many different opponents, and so many different countries.
Strawweight, they have one power. In flyweight, they have totally different power. You can be the best one in the strawweight, but here, it's a totally different field. This is not someone who has less power than you. This is someone who has more power than you. This is where I feel this is my field; this is my territory.
I'm not going to the past, and it's not tied to me, every time moving forward, and this is more important - to move forward every time.
My understanding of the world is all through the prism of martial arts. It's affected every aspect of my life.
Of course my goal is to be the champion, and of course I want revenge with Amanda because I feel much stronger, and I know next time it will be a totally different result of the fight.
I did my part. I signed it for UFC 205 in New York. I signed my part, and Julianna turned it down. She didn't want to fight that time, but I don't care about this because I am a fighter, and if she don't want fight, we was looking for another opponent to make fight.
Not everything happens as we want or desire. It doesn't matter. I'm a fighter, and I'm ready to fight every time.
I've been in martial arts for so many years, so to hold the belt of UFC and be on top of the biggest organization, it will be represented in this belt.
My fighting style is mixed martial arts. It's not just stand up, or ground and pound, it's everything together. I have 26 years of a fighting career, and it always works together.
I go to bed dreaming, thinking that I want to be the best in the octagon and be a champion.
I don't think getting punched in the face is too fun. I keep going because this is what I am. Every time I fight, this is why we live. We have to feel this. That's how we become stronger. That's how we become champions.
Every experience brings something. From one point, it is good because you know what to expect from this kind of opponent - what is her speed, her striking force.
Of course my base and my favorite thing is striking, and I will do a lot of striking because I love this game.
We already have our history with Joanna in Muay Thai and we can start our history in MMA.
I already knew that this is what I'm gonna do during my life because martial arts, for me, it's not just my job. It's not just the way to get some money. Of course it's important.
My ring name is 'Bullet,' which was given to me by Pavel. It's, like, tradition for your coach to give you your fight name. There's a superstition that says if your fight name matches who you are as a person, it will give you a lot of success in your fighting career.
My talk is inside of the cage. This is my real words where I talk every time. I think this is really important. You can speak before the fight on whatever you want, but inside of the Octagon, inside of the cage, it shows who you are. You can speak whatever you want, but who you are is who you will be inside the cage.
I've been in martial arts more than 20 years; I've seen fighters who barely have a professional fight say they're the best in the world. I've seen many people use these words. At the end of the day, that doesn't matter. What matters is when the door closes and everyone clearly sees who deserves or does not deserve something.
I'm a mixed martial arts fighter. But at the end of the day, all experience will help. And experience I got from that fight, it will help me to win this fight.
I'm doing what I love to do. Martial arts is my everything. It's my life, my philosophy, how I think, who I am.
When I grew up, the idea that I had to be the best at everything I do was put in my head by my mother. This is just how I am. I'm not just here participating.
My mom just brought me to the school of my coach. And I've trained with him my whole life. I started there, and it was totally natural for me. When I got to be 12 years old, I understood: it wasn't a job for me. It was my life.
I believe in my strengths - in my power, my speed and technique.
I can do back fists, spinning kicks. I have more options, and I can show the better striking.
I will try to do everything to finish the fight earlier as I can. No more, no more.
I can't imagine my life without martial arts. I would be a different person.
Martial arts, for me, is not just some kind of job to gain some money or whatever. No, martial arts, for me, is my lifestyle, my religion, my philosophy... Martial arts are everything for me.
My focus is my preparation, my good condition, and every time, I go forward and forward, and nothing can stop me.
To have an opportunity to fight for the title, you have to prove you deserve it against top opponents.
Fighters can say whatever, but what they are feeling inside, it's totally different.
I put a lot of meaning into what will go on my skin and be there for all of my years of life.
