Even then, it was Shevchenko scoring with pitter-patter strokes from bottom position. After they got back to their feet, Nunes pursued another takedown, successfully putting Shevchenko on her back in the last minute of the fight.

Shevchenko defended well, but ended up with Nunes on her back after an ill-timed head-and-arm throw with two minutes remaining in the fight. It’s understandable, as her team might have thought she’d won at least two of the first four rounds. We finally saw some variety in the action in round five when Nunes attempted to grapple with Shevchenko, most likely looking to seal the deal. The champ’s body and leg kicks paid dividends as well. Shevchenko kept finding ways to get inside, even as Nunes’ counter game began to pick up. Round four was maybe the closest of the bunch, as both fighters settle into a groove, though the bout still lacked urgency (much to the chagrin of the crowd). However, Nunes stuck to her game plan, peppering Shevchenko with kicks to the leg and body while hunting for a knockout shot. Shevchenko was focused on countering and even managed to string together a few short combos. The challenger got her hands going in round two, and while it wasn’t a resounding turning of the tide, it was a clear statement that Nunes had to respect her boxing.īy round three, the pace of the fight stayed steady. Nunes set the pace, though it’s one that Shevchenko was content to match. She fought at a deliberate pace, perhaps aware of the skepticism surrounding her ability to go five rounds, something she’d never done before. The first round was a feeling-out process that appeared to favor Nunes as she worked to get the better of the leg kick game. It was a solid technical outing through and through, but finding a sequence where either Nunes or Shevchenko truly asserted themselves is difficult. Right off the bat, it has to be mentioned that in the rematch neither woman was able to muster up much in the way of dramatic, impactful moments, nor sustained offense.

Valentina shevchenko vs amanda nunes