Trash talking has made some careers — Hello, Conor McGregor — and cost others opportunities. It can be a sign of extraordinary confidence or astonishing ignorance.
It can denote assuredness, fear and a desire to sell a bout.
It’s many things at once, though rarely boring.
Muhammad Ali used his ability to talk along with his otherworldly skills to not only become one of the greatest boxers who ever lived, but also one of the most recognizable faces on Earth at one point.
If you’re about to take a fight, is it trash talk to say you believe you’re going to win, or is it the way ever fighter at the highest level should feel?
Regardless, it’s clear how Valentina Shevchenko, the UFC’s women’s flyweight champion, feels about it.
Shevchenko has been a model of composure in and out of the Octagon, dominating her division for nearly a decade in the UFC with a near-perfect blend of skill and strategy.
But as the trash talk from rising contender Manon Fiorot begins to echo through the MMA community, Shevchenko is faced with an unfamiliar challenge: A demand for respect.
It’s a fight that transcends punches and kicks and is about earning recognition for a champion who’s given her sport everything, but has never sought the spotlight.
She’s the ultimate pro’s pro. She’s always in shape. She’s always on time. She fulfills her obligations — interviews, personal appearances and the like — dutifully.
In MMA, especially when pay-per-view sales account for a big chunk of a fighter’s purse, some say trash talk is just part of the game.
While Fiorot’s words may seem tame to many, Shevchenko’s measured response speaks volumes about her character and what she’s achieved.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to compare myself to her because I never will approach any of my opponents with so much disrespect like she did,” Shevchenko said at at UFC 315 media day.
Shevchenko will defend her flyweight title against Fiorot on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 315 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
And while Fiorot’s words have been tame relative to what someone like, oh, McGregor or Colby Covington routinely say, she’s managed to get the champ’s attention.
At the kick-off news conference in February, Fiorot said in answer to a question that she attended Noche UFC at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September.
So what did Fiorot say that riled up the champ?
“I was present when Valentina fought the last time, and I was expecting her to say my name in the Octagon,” Fiorot said. “She didn’t, and I was pretty disappointed.”
It wasn’t much, but Shevchenko wasn’t thrilled.
Shevchenko is 37, and for 32 years of her life has trained in martial arts. It’s not only her job; it’s her passion, her life.
For Shevchenko, it’s all about respect, for the sport and for her opponents.
Shevchenko’s career has been built on honor and unwavering discipline. Fiorot’s words hit her hard because they’re not just a challenge to her skills, but to the respect she believes she’s earned in nearly a decade of dominance.
Shevchenko entered the UFC in 2015 with an 11-1 on the regional circuit, but she wasn’t a household name in women’s MMA. Ronda Rousey didn’t debut in the UFC until 2013 and the women’s part of the game was still developing when the UFC signed her.
The UFC didn’t have a flyweight division for women at the time, so she fought up a class at bantamweight. And while the casual MMA fan may not have been aware of her, believe that UFC officials knew what they had.
After winning a decision over Sarah Kaufman in her UFC debut, Shevchenko fought the great Amanda Nunes at UFC 196 in Las Vegas.
Nunes won that bout by decision and went on to fight Miesha Tate at UFC 200 for the title. She won and became a legend. Nunes will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame next month, recognized as the greatest female fighter in UFC history.
It’s just by a gnat’s eyelash over Shevchenko, though. After losing to Nunes, Shevchenko defeated Holly Holm, a former champion, and Julianna Peña, a future champion, in her next two bouts.
She lost an agonizingly close split decision to Nunes in a rematch at UFC 215, costing her a big to be the bantamweight champion.
But when the flyweight division was created in 2018, there was no doubt why.
She’s gone 10-1-1 at flyweight, losing a submission to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 and drawing with Grasso in the first rematch.
If Nunes is the women’s game’s Tom Brady, then Shevchenko is its Peyton Manning. She’s skilled in every area of the game and rarely is unprepared. She’s one of the best strikers the women have ever seen, and she’s finished opponents with punches, kicks, knees and elbows.
She’s a fantastic grappler who submitted Peña, the current bantamweight champion. And her wrestling is always solid.
In a sport where the next big thing is always just around the corner, Shevchenko's enduring dominance is remarkable. She's been the standard-bearer for women’s flyweight fighters, but with each passing year, the division grows more competitive.
It’s grown so much that Fiorot, who lost her pro debut in 2018 and has won each of her 12 fights since, is a -135 favorite to win at DraftKings sportsbook.
Fiorot is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and karate, and is known for sharp hands. She’s got six KOs among her 12 wins, but has gone to decision in her last five bouts as the competition has stepped up.
As the trash talk continues to swirl, Shevchenko’s response carries more weight than any witty retort or fiery comment ever could. Fiorot may have ignited the conversation, but it’s the champion’s composure, humility, and unmatched skill that will ultimately define the outcome.
Shevchenko has spent her career proving herself in every aspect of mixed martial arts, not through words, but through actions. And in the Octagon, actions speak louder than any trash talk ever could.
Saturday’s showdown, initially about defending a title, now feels like more than that. Fiorot’s challenge may have been a strategic move to gain attention, but for Shevchenko, this fight is about asserting respect. For herself, her sport, and the opponents who dare to challenge her legacy.
When the dust settles, it will be Shevchenko’s history of dominance and character that will stand tall—proof that while words can fire up a fight, only a champion’s true actions define their greatness.
Courtesy UFC
Valentina Shevchenko (L) has been annoyed by Manon Fiorot's pre-fight talk.