Valentina Shevchenko has shared the cage with Amanda Nunes twice, in Nunes’ most competitive bouts of her championship run. She fell just short in her UFC debut against Nunes and again in a bantamweight title match. Now a champion in her own natural weight class, flyweight, after defeating former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231, she has some thoughts on how Cris Cyborg matches up with her former foe. As a training partner of Cyborg, she is far from a neutral observer, but also offers unique insight into both fighters’ capabilities. Via MMAJunkie.com:
“Cris has an advantage in her endurance – a very huge advantage, because she’s training like a fanatic,” Shevchenko said. “And most important, she’s not tiring.
“In the morning, she runs marathons, and after marathons, she comes to training and does her work hitting pads and sparring. She doesn’t get tired. She has the power to move forward. So in this fight, I will support Cris.”
Nunes is currently a 2-1 underdog to Cyborg, closer odds than any previous Cyborg bout, including Holly Holm, who was a little more than a 3-1 underdog against the defending featherweight champion. Cyborg herself feels her pressure and pace will break Nunes, who brings the most firepower of any challenger to face the legendary Cyborg. Cris has said this will be her last fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Will ‘the Lioness’ unseat Cyborg from her championship throne?
Source : mmamania
