UFC 238 Judo Chop - Valentina Shevchenko: A Begrudging Analysis

Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty ImagesValentina Shevchenko’s fights can be… a challenge to watch. Listeners of Heavy Hands will know that I have no particular fondness for the UFC flyweight champion’s fighting style. While there are no shortage of precise, methodical kickboxers among my favorites, there’s just something about Shevchenko’s ceaseless displays of tight, technical proficiency that leaves me cold. Rather than inspiring fascination, her fights demand concentration, each one a feat of endurance.

Yet there are those who absolutely love “The Bullet,” and I don’t just mean her mother and sister. And excluding the small but distinct community of diehard fans for whom Octagon performance…