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In the co-main event of UFC 275, we see Valentina Shevchenko look to continue her dominance as she defends her title against Taila Santos. The champion has been cleaning out her division and that means new challengers have to be rushed into a title fight. Santos has been on a great streak of wins and after submitting Joanne Wood, the UFC wanted her in a title fight. Shevchenko has been building her mystique and it's been tough to find someone that seems capable of beating her. There is hope that Santos is the one to make things interesting as she has power and good finishing instincts. Most are expecting Shevchenko to continue rolling at UFC 275 and eventually move back up to bantamweight to become a double champion. That is proof that the champion truly is dominating at flyweight. Santos has a big test ahead of her and the hype heading into UFC 275 is overwhelming. We're either in for domination or a shocking upset that goes down in UFC history.
Valentina Shevchenko has become one of the most dominant UFC champions in history. The flyweight champion made the move down from bantamweight and has not looked back since. Her last fight was in September against Lauren Murphy at UFC 266. Shevchenko was so dominant that many thought the fight was ‘boring.' She is incredibly well-rounded with her muay Thai giving everyone problems on the feet, she uses counter striking which can lead to a low-volume approach that forces her opponents to take the lead. The champion also has a mean ground game that she doesn't always need. It's led to TKOs over Jessica Andrade and Katlyn Chookagian. Shevchenko has an invincible mystic around her and Taila Santos will be hoping to find a flaw in her game.
Taila Santos is an exciting flyweight that finally broke through in the division after dropping and submitting Joanne Wood back in November. The Brazilian has had trouble finding the finishes in the UFC but that was very different before joining the organization. She had ten knockouts and a slew of submissions. Some of the knockouts put her opponents out cold. There is some hope in the game of the Brazilian and there could be some opportunities to find the finish. Santos has power in her hands but her technique can be sloppy. There is only one loss on Santos' record and that was a split decision to Mara Romero Borella back in 2019. She's had some very good wins since then including Roxanne Modafferi and Gillian Robertson. She'll be hoping her finishing instincts lead to a title win at UFC 275.
Here are the UFC 275 odds, featuring our Valentina Shevchenko-Taila Santos prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 275 Odds: Valentina Shevchenko-Taila Santos Odds
Valentina Shevchenko (-720)
Taila Santos (+450)
Over 4.5 rounds (-142)
Under 4.5 rounds (+112)
How Valentina Shevchenko Wins The Fight At UFC 275
Valentina Shevchenko has the perfect game to beat just about anyone it seems. The muay Thai fighter likes to keep things on the feet and force her opponents to lead. She's incredibly patient and loves to pick her shots. In this one, she'll most likely play the long game considering her opponent has never fought more than three rounds. She'll allow Taila Santos to be aggressive early and start to pick her apart on the feet the longer the fight goes. Santos likes to counterstrike and that's going to be a problem as Shevchenko will force her to lead. Things get weird when two counter-strikers fight and that could lead to some moments of inactivity. The champion will be looking for opportunities to potentially get the fight down and get her opponent stuck in the crucifix position. The most likely outcome of this one is a dominant decision with a low volume approach on the feet. The champion wins by decision.
How Taila Santos Wins The Fight At UFC 275
This is a very tough one. Figuring out how anyone beats Valentina Shevchenko is a tough task. Taila Santos is not going to beat the champion by decision. That being said, her best weapon is her muay Thai and dynamite in her hands. Although her power has not translated to the UFC, the Brazilian still packs a big punch. Patience is going to be the biggest tool. Shevchenko is going to force her to lead the dance and she has to be patient enough to stick with her gameplan, despite any inactivity. The Brazilian doesn't fight with a sense of urgency and will need to capitalize on any big shots she lands. The Brazilian finds the knockout to shock the world.
Final Valentina Shevchenko-Taila Santos Prediction & Pick
Taila Santos may be the opponent with the best chance to beat Valentina Shevchenko. That being said, Shevchenko has proven to be too much for everyone. This probably won't be the most entertaining fight but the champion is not afraid to implement her game and force her opponents to lead. That's probably what's going to happen here. Shevchenko will be utilizing the clinch and looking for openings to get the fight to the ground which will lead to openings for the finish. The most likely scenario is that things stay on the feet and the champion chips away at the challenger. It won't be pretty but the champion goes home with the belt. And still.
Final Valentina Shevchenko-Taila Santos Pick: Valentina Shevchenko wins by decision.
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