November 17, 2025 • 15 mins
Daniel Cormier is BACK with another episode of DC Check-In where he sits down with Valentina Shevchenko ahead of her Flyweight championship bout against Weili Zhang in what some people are calling a fight to decide the BEST female fighter of all time. Valentina talks about how Weili is such a strong and fast opponent, but says she is stronger and faster, and that we will find out Saturday night at Madison Square Garden at UFC 322.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume. All right, guys, say show is brought to
you by a new sponsor, hard Rock Bet. Hard Rock
Bet is a top rated sportsbook app. It might just
take the belt from any other sportsbook app that you
use once you open it up and you see it
for yourself. And guys, if you haven't tried your first
(00:25):
bet on hard rock Bet, there's still time if you
can get one to fifty and bonus bets if you win,
so place a five dollar bet. If that bet hits,
you not only get your winnings, but you get one
hundred and fifty dollars in bonus.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Bets right away.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Guys, Today's a great day to try the hard rock
Bet sports app. So it's not just the welcome offer.
You can get bonus bets. You can get parlay, insurance
and other rewards. The rewards and the promos are NonStop.
So download the hard rock Bet app and make your
first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets is not a
(01:02):
cash offer offered by the Seminal Tribe of Florida and
Florida offered by Siminal hard Rock Digital, LLC.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
In all other states.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
You must be twenty one or older and physically present
in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee,
or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about
gambling in Florida called one.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Eight eight eight a d mit it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
In Indiana, if you are someone you know has a
gambling problem and wants help, call one eight hundred nine
with it. And if you have a gambling problem, call
one eight hundred gambler.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Valentinea.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
The chef Chenko, thank you for checking in with me. Guys,
one of the greatest female fighters of all time. Honestly,
one of the greatest fighters of all time, regardless of gender,
sits down with us today. We were just talking about
your training camp and how you spend a lot of
time everywhere. But why do you feel it necessary to
(02:09):
be in Texas, New Jersey, Thailand?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I mean where else did you train that VI camp?
And how long was the camp?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I don't feel that it's necessary. It's just like the
way I am.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, why do you like it so much?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Because for me, travel and martial arts it's all ties
so much together that it's never separate. And travel was
always like big part of my lifestyle, same as martial arts.
All my travel because of martial arts. All my martial
arts is because of travel. It's like it's all one
and I feel it's a great opportunity. When you travel,
(02:48):
it's kind of like opening your mind.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
It's you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Able to meet new people with the same patient as
you are. You able to meet new cultures. You able
to get the best of every culture and see how
diverse our world.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
And then when.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You are back, appreciate what you have and what you
don't have, and like it's kind of like good things
to uh in terms like if you want to be wiser.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Person, Yeah, where's home, man, It's Vegas. That's Vegas, y, Yeah, Vegas.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So where do you spend the majority of the camp?
How long are you in these places?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You and coach?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It's all depends. It's all depends. It's never fixed, it's
never certain. This time we started in Thailand. They're like
amazing Tiger mouy Thai camp and I very it's like
camp uh Jim. But I represent always was like my
home back in Thailand. In Morokov, had I was part
(03:51):
of the the terminal list. I was doing some fight scenes.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Like the more you're on the show, Yeah, show terminal List.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Exactly the second season True Believer and I'm playing a spy.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I'm going to watch it. You're playing a spy. It's
absolutely perfect. For years I've told you, for years, I
have told you you're like a spy, and you play
the spy. I cannot go watch what episode is it?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
What episode to seven episode?
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, terminal lists episode two O seven, go watch the champ.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I'm definitely gonna watch it right now. Okay. So you're
in Morocco.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
For that, yes, for that, and definitely as I it
was quite like farther from the from now, and that's
why I could have more travels. But definitely we go
any place and which I can on the gyms. So
we were like it to you because we spent like
different cities in Casablanca, Tangier, in Marrakesh and Asni, so
(04:52):
like in everywhere, we were able to train to find
the gym with mixed martial arts guys and I were
able to train in there. Then we got back home
to Las Vegas. Definitely Andre Damay thai Jin where I
always train over there. Good training partners, UC Fighter, Joselyn Edwards,
Pierra Rodriuez, she is they were like my training partners,
(05:15):
same with Jason Andrada, then El Paso, Texas, then Martial Arts.
About my third training camp I spent over there. It's
like good feeling as a like a family spirit. And
in general El Paso it feels like very like old
style when you go in any restaurants and you feel
like in someone's fast house.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yes, like everybody's house.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
It's so good.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
So plus my training partners was some from El Paso
and as one from Mexico Sudad Juarez. And every time,
like every day crossing the border, come trained with me,
then come back home and it's like it's it's very
it means a lot, yeah yeah. And then final part
here New Jersey. One of my owners, Ritchie van Houten,
(06:02):
he has a gym Culture gym here in New Jersey.
So same amazing training partners and I was very lucky
to have all of them in.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
My training camp.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
That's an amazing training camp. A lot of time and honestly,
going into those new places it must like second awakening,
right like, because in camp it can get a little
bit repetitive, right you wake up, you train, you wake up,
you train, you wake up your train.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But by going to all these new places.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I bet it's like refreshing to wake up in a
different place with a different type of energy every single time.
How quickly after your last title defense against Monofi or
did you believe or know that it was going to
be a super fight between you and Jehan Way Lee?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Pretty fast when I first like receive and notice about
that fight. It's kind of like I even felt that
I'm still in shape.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah it was that fast.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yes, it was pretty fast.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But then I took a little bit time to actually
like recover from the training camp mentally physically, and we
went to Washington State and Puget Sound, where I have
a boat, and spent like about two months just leaving
a board, traveling from Marina to Marina to San Juan
Islands and all over the area. A lot of good fishing,
(07:16):
salmon fishing, crabbing, shrimping. So this is the very how
I was restoring my You don't get.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Seasick, you don't get like stomach hurt from like all
the rocking, and you know, it really bothers me.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You know the best of Puget Sound, it's kind of
like as a huge sea.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Because it's not open ocean. You don't have.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
These, it's not up and down waves.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
No, it might be a little bit like Rocky, but
not something like very horrible.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
But it doesn't bother your stomach at all. No, you
gave me seasick. Last time I went to on my
friend's boat, I threw up all over over the side.
The whole time I'm throwing up over the side.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
It was crazy. It just really messed me up.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Jiang Way Lee is a a champion like yourself. I
really believe that for the last five years female Fighter
of the year, you are John Willie. It's just whoever was,
whoever fought last could have been considered the fighter of
the year. What type of challenge does she present to you,
(08:18):
being that you've defended this belt so many times against
so many different styles.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Oh, Reiley, She's an amazing fighter. She is very strong, she's
like good representative.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Of martial arts.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
And yeah, it's kind of like the highest challenge I
consider during the training campus every since that I have
to prepare the best. I have to be ready for
everything because it's martial arts.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
It's MMA.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
You cannot like things that it's going to be only
striking or only grabbling. It can be everything. So I
have to be very alert in these terms. But I
know that she is fast. I'm faster, she's strong. I'm stronger,
and I will do everything. My training can was amazing.
I will do everything to be in the fight and
(09:05):
secure my victory the best way I can.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
You're an amazing striker, but lately you wrestle more. Right
like you wrestle, you control. Is that a conscious decision
to make that a bigger part of your game plan?
Because you're so physically strong that once you get the
takedown in your knowledge of the grappling, it really does
give these women problems as they try to get back
to their feet. Did you ever, like, did you decide
(09:31):
this at some point, going, you know what, I've knocked
people out my whole life, kickboxing and everything multi but
this wrestling I have this now. Was there a point
where you realized that it could be a bit of
a driving force to your fight plan.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
I feel that it's a majority times it's.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
All about my opponents. It's kind of like being a
MMA fighter. You just cannot be a striker, you cannot
be wrestler. You have to everything, and it's all depends
what tactics you're gonna use. It depends of the moment
in the fight. Sometimes you have to change it quickly.
(10:11):
Sometimes you have to like react fast enough. And I
feel that it's happened, like because in front of me
there was particular challenge that I had to use exactly
that tactic.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
When you take away Lee as an opponent, where does
she rank in terms of the people you fought? I mean,
you fought everybody you thought a man that you fought, Holly,
you fought all the way down to do monof yours
and the younger fighters of the generation. Where do you
think she ranks in terms of opponents? I know most
(10:46):
people say, well, she's number one, because she's next when
you fought the greatest fighters ever, Like, where do you
think way Lee's tacks up.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
To these fighters?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I feel the same way that you just told me,
because she's my next challenge and I definitely will rank her,
like as a bigger challenge because I feel that this
approach it's like helping me to be successful because you
are not thinking, oh, it's gonna be like easier challenge.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
No, it's not going to be. Even if you're thinking
it's going.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
To be easier challenges, then you're facing like someone superfurious,
super hungry, like for victory, and then like oops.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah that will suck. Yeah, you do not want to
overlook anybody. It's a fight you have.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
To be very ready for ever since.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That's why I consider every my next challenge as a
number one.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
This you definded about ten times, right, nine or nine?
This is going to be number ten. You've defindited ten
going for eleven. You defindite ten going for eleven. You
are now in the rankings of some of the most
successful champions of all time. But every time you go
in there, you're as prepared, You're as ready as anyone.
How do you continue to wake up in the morning
(11:59):
and be motivated for this at this level because you
never get an easy fight as the champion. You always
get the hungriest, You always get the most desperate to
get what you have. This is the first time that
you might be fighting someone that has as much money
as you.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Because she's been the champion.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Most people are like starving to get there, to get
the belt, to get the money.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Stay motivated to stay ahead of the curve like you
have been for so long because it doesn't even look
like you're slowing down at all.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
First of all, because martial arts for me, it's not
the way just to get money. It's not my job,
it's not just a career. It's my lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
In my life.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I'm martial art, not martial artists. I am martial art
and everything what I represent. It's martial arts for me.
It's all my philosophy, all my life. It's number one
and number two. It's a good balance between going hard
in the training camp and a fight.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
And proper recovery. Managing the training process.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
It's very important too, because like many fighter feels that
if they don't train three times a day, it's kind
of like not good for them, not good for them performed,
but it's not right.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
It breaks them down. You break down and.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
You just cannot survive. The full training camp is that
much intensity. You have to do it smart. And I'm
very likely that my coach Bible Filotov, who is like
trained me since day number one already for like more
than thirty years. He's very wise man in martial arts,
and it's like he every time guide me that correctly
(13:37):
that I don't have to worry about anything. I just
do like go and train. My job is easy. His
job is hard.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah, mindless, it's mindless. And also having that familiar place,
like you and coach have been together for so long.
If you get in there and you're kind of dragging,
he probably knows how to pull it back because he
knows you because you've been around and you guys have
trained together for so long. You guys relationship is awesome
by the way. To see that you guys have grown
to what your career is. It's amazing to watch because
(14:04):
I was a guy that trained only one group of
coaches himself. You know a lot of people jump between teams.
You haven't done that, No.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Never, Because I feel this is like loyalty, it's number one,
like feeling off this responsibility to each other. And you know,
it's kind of like I grew up in Kyrgyzstan. It's
very far from here. My way to get into the UFC,
it was one of the hardest ways. It's not something
(14:33):
like you reached five oh seven oh, and it's like
guarantee you that's today fighters.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yeah, I had to like travel all the world, become
seventeen times world champion in Muay Thai MMA kick boxing,
and only after that, like living eight times eight years
in South America, in.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Thailand, in Europe, in.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Russia, all over this place, like fighting everyone everyone's and
only after that I had my chance to compete in UFC.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, I think that's who because you appreciate it all
that you had to go through. You appreciate the ability
to do what you do at this level, and I
mean you've done it as good as anyone, and you
continue to do it as good as anyone in the
UFC's history. So congratulations on all your success. You are
the best guys. Valenteer the chef Chenko once again tries
(15:26):
to defend the Flyway Championship of the World this weekend
at UFC three twenty two from Madison Square Garden. Make
sure you go follow her seriously. She is a renaissance woman.
She owns boats, she fishes, she does it all. She
hunts I mean actress now obviously on top of being
a tremendous mixed martial artist. Make sure you follow her
until next time. Buy the pay per view this weekend.
(15:48):
Like subscribing to your friends, I'm checking in with people
like the pullet until next time.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Peace,
The volume. All right, guys, say show is brought to
you by a new sponsor, hard Rock Bet. Hard Rock
Bet is a top rated sportsbook app. It might just
take the belt from any other sportsbook app that you
use once you open it up and you see it
for yourself. And guys, if you haven't tried your first
(00:25):
bet on hard rock Bet, there's still time if you
can get one to fifty and bonus bets if you win,
so place a five dollar bet. If that bet hits,
you not only get your winnings, but you get one
hundred and fifty dollars in bonus.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Bets right away.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Guys, Today's a great day to try the hard rock
Bet sports app. So it's not just the welcome offer.
You can get bonus bets. You can get parlay, insurance
and other rewards. The rewards and the promos are NonStop.
So download the hard rock Bet app and make your
first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets is not a
(01:02):
cash offer offered by the Seminal Tribe of Florida and
Florida offered by Siminal hard Rock Digital, LLC.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
In all other states.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
You must be twenty one or older and physically present
in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee,
or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about
gambling in Florida called one.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Eight eight eight a d mit it.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
In Indiana, if you are someone you know has a
gambling problem and wants help, call one eight hundred nine
with it. And if you have a gambling problem, call
one eight hundred gambler.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Valentinea.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
The chef Chenko, thank you for checking in with me. Guys,
one of the greatest female fighters of all time. Honestly,
one of the greatest fighters of all time, regardless of gender,
sits down with us today. We were just talking about
your training camp and how you spend a lot of
time everywhere. But why do you feel it necessary to
(02:09):
be in Texas, New Jersey, Thailand?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I mean where else did you train that VI camp?
And how long was the camp?
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I don't feel that it's necessary. It's just like the
way I am.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yeah, why do you like it so much?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Because for me, travel and martial arts it's all ties
so much together that it's never separate. And travel was
always like big part of my lifestyle, same as martial arts.
All my travel because of martial arts. All my martial
arts is because of travel. It's like it's all one
and I feel it's a great opportunity. When you travel,
(02:48):
it's kind of like opening your mind.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
It's you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Able to meet new people with the same patient as
you are. You able to meet new cultures. You able
to get the best of every culture and see how
diverse our world.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
And then when.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You are back, appreciate what you have and what you
don't have, and like it's kind of like good things
to uh in terms like if you want to be wiser.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Person, Yeah, where's home, man, It's Vegas. That's Vegas, y, Yeah, Vegas.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So where do you spend the majority of the camp?
How long are you in these places?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
You and coach?
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It's all depends. It's all depends. It's never fixed, it's
never certain. This time we started in Thailand. They're like
amazing Tiger mouy Thai camp and I very it's like
camp uh Jim. But I represent always was like my
home back in Thailand. In Morokov, had I was part
(03:51):
of the the terminal list. I was doing some fight scenes.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Like the more you're on the show, Yeah, show terminal List.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Exactly the second season True Believer and I'm playing a spy.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I'm going to watch it. You're playing a spy. It's
absolutely perfect. For years I've told you, for years, I
have told you you're like a spy, and you play
the spy. I cannot go watch what episode is it?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
What episode to seven episode?
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Okay, terminal lists episode two O seven, go watch the champ.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I'm definitely gonna watch it right now. Okay. So you're
in Morocco.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
For that, yes, for that, and definitely as I it
was quite like farther from the from now, and that's
why I could have more travels. But definitely we go
any place and which I can on the gyms. So
we were like it to you because we spent like
different cities in Casablanca, Tangier, in Marrakesh and Asni, so
(04:52):
like in everywhere, we were able to train to find
the gym with mixed martial arts guys and I were
able to train in there. Then we got back home
to Las Vegas. Definitely Andre Damay thai Jin where I
always train over there. Good training partners, UC Fighter, Joselyn Edwards,
Pierra Rodriuez, she is they were like my training partners,
(05:15):
same with Jason Andrada, then El Paso, Texas, then Martial Arts.
About my third training camp I spent over there. It's
like good feeling as a like a family spirit. And
in general El Paso it feels like very like old
style when you go in any restaurants and you feel
like in someone's fast house.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yes, like everybody's house.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
It's so good.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
So plus my training partners was some from El Paso
and as one from Mexico Sudad Juarez. And every time,
like every day crossing the border, come trained with me,
then come back home and it's like it's it's very
it means a lot, yeah yeah. And then final part
here New Jersey. One of my owners, Ritchie van Houten,
(06:02):
he has a gym Culture gym here in New Jersey.
So same amazing training partners and I was very lucky
to have all of them in.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
My training camp.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
That's an amazing training camp. A lot of time and honestly,
going into those new places it must like second awakening,
right like, because in camp it can get a little
bit repetitive, right you wake up, you train, you wake up,
you train, you wake up your train.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
But by going to all these new places.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I bet it's like refreshing to wake up in a
different place with a different type of energy every single time.
How quickly after your last title defense against Monofi or
did you believe or know that it was going to
be a super fight between you and Jehan Way Lee?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Pretty fast when I first like receive and notice about
that fight. It's kind of like I even felt that
I'm still in shape.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah it was that fast.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yes, it was pretty fast.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But then I took a little bit time to actually
like recover from the training camp mentally physically, and we
went to Washington State and Puget Sound, where I have
a boat, and spent like about two months just leaving
a board, traveling from Marina to Marina to San Juan
Islands and all over the area. A lot of good fishing,
(07:16):
salmon fishing, crabbing, shrimping. So this is the very how
I was restoring my You don't get.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Seasick, you don't get like stomach hurt from like all
the rocking, and you know, it really bothers me.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You know the best of Puget Sound, it's kind of
like as a huge sea.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Because it's not open ocean. You don't have.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
These, it's not up and down waves.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
No, it might be a little bit like Rocky, but
not something like very horrible.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
But it doesn't bother your stomach at all. No, you
gave me seasick. Last time I went to on my
friend's boat, I threw up all over over the side.
The whole time I'm throwing up over the side.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
It was crazy. It just really messed me up.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Jiang Way Lee is a a champion like yourself. I
really believe that for the last five years female Fighter
of the year, you are John Willie. It's just whoever was,
whoever fought last could have been considered the fighter of
the year. What type of challenge does she present to you,
(08:18):
being that you've defended this belt so many times against
so many different styles.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Oh, Reiley, She's an amazing fighter. She is very strong, she's
like good representative.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Of martial arts.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
And yeah, it's kind of like the highest challenge I
consider during the training campus every since that I have
to prepare the best. I have to be ready for
everything because it's martial arts.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
It's MMA.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
You cannot like things that it's going to be only
striking or only grabbling. It can be everything. So I
have to be very alert in these terms. But I
know that she is fast. I'm faster, she's strong. I'm stronger,
and I will do everything. My training can was amazing.
I will do everything to be in the fight and
(09:05):
secure my victory the best way I can.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
You're an amazing striker, but lately you wrestle more. Right
like you wrestle, you control. Is that a conscious decision
to make that a bigger part of your game plan?
Because you're so physically strong that once you get the
takedown in your knowledge of the grappling, it really does
give these women problems as they try to get back
to their feet. Did you ever, like, did you decide
(09:31):
this at some point, going, you know what, I've knocked
people out my whole life, kickboxing and everything multi but
this wrestling I have this now. Was there a point
where you realized that it could be a bit of
a driving force to your fight plan.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
I feel that it's a majority times it's.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
All about my opponents. It's kind of like being a
MMA fighter. You just cannot be a striker, you cannot
be wrestler. You have to everything, and it's all depends
what tactics you're gonna use. It depends of the moment
in the fight. Sometimes you have to change it quickly.
(10:11):
Sometimes you have to like react fast enough. And I
feel that it's happened, like because in front of me
there was particular challenge that I had to use exactly
that tactic.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
When you take away Lee as an opponent, where does
she rank in terms of the people you fought? I mean,
you fought everybody you thought a man that you fought, Holly,
you fought all the way down to do monof yours
and the younger fighters of the generation. Where do you
think she ranks in terms of opponents? I know most
(10:46):
people say, well, she's number one, because she's next when
you fought the greatest fighters ever, Like, where do you
think way Lee's tacks up.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
To these fighters?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I feel the same way that you just told me,
because she's my next challenge and I definitely will rank her,
like as a bigger challenge because I feel that this
approach it's like helping me to be successful because you
are not thinking, oh, it's gonna be like easier challenge.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
No, it's not going to be. Even if you're thinking
it's going.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
To be easier challenges, then you're facing like someone superfurious,
super hungry, like for victory, and then like oops.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah that will suck. Yeah, you do not want to
overlook anybody. It's a fight you have.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
To be very ready for ever since.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That's why I consider every my next challenge as a
number one.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
This you definded about ten times, right, nine or nine?
This is going to be number ten. You've defindited ten
going for eleven. You defindite ten going for eleven. You
are now in the rankings of some of the most
successful champions of all time. But every time you go
in there, you're as prepared, You're as ready as anyone.
How do you continue to wake up in the morning
(11:59):
and be motivated for this at this level because you
never get an easy fight as the champion. You always
get the hungriest, You always get the most desperate to
get what you have. This is the first time that
you might be fighting someone that has as much money
as you.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Because she's been the champion.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Most people are like starving to get there, to get
the belt, to get the money.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Stay motivated to stay ahead of the curve like you
have been for so long because it doesn't even look
like you're slowing down at all.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
First of all, because martial arts for me, it's not
the way just to get money. It's not my job,
it's not just a career. It's my lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
In my life.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I'm martial art, not martial artists. I am martial art
and everything what I represent. It's martial arts for me.
It's all my philosophy, all my life. It's number one
and number two. It's a good balance between going hard
in the training camp and a fight.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
And proper recovery. Managing the training process.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
It's very important too, because like many fighter feels that
if they don't train three times a day, it's kind
of like not good for them, not good for them performed,
but it's not right.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
It breaks them down. You break down and.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
You just cannot survive. The full training camp is that
much intensity. You have to do it smart. And I'm
very likely that my coach Bible Filotov, who is like
trained me since day number one already for like more
than thirty years. He's very wise man in martial arts,
and it's like he every time guide me that correctly
(13:37):
that I don't have to worry about anything. I just
do like go and train. My job is easy. His
job is hard.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah, mindless, it's mindless. And also having that familiar place,
like you and coach have been together for so long.
If you get in there and you're kind of dragging,
he probably knows how to pull it back because he
knows you because you've been around and you guys have
trained together for so long. You guys relationship is awesome
by the way. To see that you guys have grown
to what your career is. It's amazing to watch because
(14:04):
I was a guy that trained only one group of
coaches himself. You know a lot of people jump between teams.
You haven't done that, No.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Never, Because I feel this is like loyalty, it's number one,
like feeling off this responsibility to each other. And you know,
it's kind of like I grew up in Kyrgyzstan. It's
very far from here. My way to get into the UFC,
it was one of the hardest ways. It's not something
(14:33):
like you reached five oh seven oh, and it's like
guarantee you that's today fighters.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yeah, I had to like travel all the world, become
seventeen times world champion in Muay Thai MMA kick boxing,
and only after that, like living eight times eight years
in South America, in.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Thailand, in Europe, in.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Russia, all over this place, like fighting everyone everyone's and
only after that I had my chance to compete in UFC.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yeah, I think that's who because you appreciate it all
that you had to go through. You appreciate the ability
to do what you do at this level, and I
mean you've done it as good as anyone, and you
continue to do it as good as anyone in the
UFC's history. So congratulations on all your success. You are
the best guys. Valenteer the chef Chenko once again tries
(15:26):
to defend the Flyway Championship of the World this weekend
at UFC three twenty two from Madison Square Garden. Make
sure you go follow her seriously. She is a renaissance woman.
She owns boats, she fishes, she does it all. She
hunts I mean actress now obviously on top of being
a tremendous mixed martial artist. Make sure you follow her
until next time. Buy the pay per view this weekend.
(15:48):
Like subscribing to your friends, I'm checking in with people
like the pullet until next time.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Peace,
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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