LAS VEGAS — Revenge tastes sweeter when a championship is on the line.
That’s Valentina Shevchenko’s position this week, entering her UFC 213 main event against Amanda Nunes at T-Mobile Arena. The two bantamweights met last year at UFC 196, and Nunes won the three-round bout by unanimous decision, although many believe Shevchenko was gaining steam toward the end.
Saturday night’s fight is scheduled for five rounds, but a power puncher such as Nunes likes to finish opponents quickly. In fact, that previous fight against Shevchenko was Nunes’ longest in the UFC. Shevchenko has gone the five-round distance once — last year in a unanimous-decision win over Holly Holm — and some predict she can beat Nunes and win the bantamweight belt if she plays the long game.
NESN.com’s Rachel Holt spoke to Nunes and Shevchenko at UFC 213 media day, and to no one’s surprise, they seemed confident about their chances. Watch the video above to hear from both fighters.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
