Fighters often say fighting is 10% physical, and 90% mental. The fight game is taxing on the mind and if a fighter has an excellent mind, their career can go far.
Valentina Shevchenko is the pound-for-pound best female fighter in the world right now and UFC contender Amanda Ribas says it is her mind that makes her so great.
Valentina’s mind
Fresh off her loss at UFC Vegas 54, Ribas explained what makes Valentina Shevchenko so dominant.
“I think now, it is her head, her brain because everybody knows and now she really believes that ‘I am the champion and nobody will take this from me.’ So I think this [pointing to her head] is really strong,” Ribas said during an appereance on The SchmoZone Podcast. “Maybe Taila [Santos] is coming with the fire in the eyes can take the title from her. Maybe. We need to see, but I think the most difference between her and the other fighters is her mind because she really believes she’s the champion and nobody will take the bet from her. I think this.”
Shevchenko defends her title for the seventh time next month at UFC 275 in Singapore against Talia Santos.
Pena vs Nunes II
Ribas believes current UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena used her strong mind to take down Amanda Nunes.
“She had the fire. [It was her mindset.] I need to be careful with [my mindset] because this commands all the body. So if [your mind] is strong, everything will be good. We will be strong. And in that fight against Amanda, Juliana was really good. Feeling good. And she won,” Ribas said….Amanda has a big challenge [in the rematch]. Not to against Juliana. Against herself… I think now she will be different inside the octagon. Not because last time she was weak. No. It’s because this time she has a challenge.”
Nunes will rematch Pena later this summer.
