JRE MMA Show #115 with Valentina Schevchenko

[0] Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

[1] The Joe Rogan Experience.

[2] Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day.

[3] Valentina, pleasure to have you in here.

[4] Very excited.

[5] Finally, I'm here, right?

[6] Finally, yeah.

[7] I mean, we've been talking about it for a while, and I've been a fan of yours for quite a long time.

[8] You're a very unusual person.

[9] Very unusual.

[10] I mean, it's unusual to be a martial arts champion, but you are, you're an unusual martial arts champion.

[11] I mean, you're very diverse.

[12] You have so many skills and talents.

[13] It's very strange.

[14] Like, how does one, first of all, how many languages do you speak?

[15] Three, what I speak, and I'm learning fours.

[16] I learn in Thai now.

[17] You learn in Thai, because you were speaking Thai after one of your fights.

[18] The last one, yeah.

[19] Yeah.

[20] So it sounds like you know it.

[21] Like you say you're learning it, but you got a lot to say.

[22] Yeah, it's kind of like I can say a lot, but when I mean, I'm learning, I want to, so once I will speak it like fluently and I will understand like native people so good, then I consider it, yes, I speak language.

[23] Before then, it's kind of still learning.

[24] And I think I started to learn in like a couple years ago, but I think it's very important to have practice with native people.

[25] Go to Thailand and like forget about speaking English, just speak Thai and this is how like you just adopt everything so this is what I want to put this language Thai language on the next level then I will say okay four now four so like like you immerse yourself maybe yeah kind of because for me I try to do everything like as a best way I can not the perfection way right but the best what I can now your first language is Russian?

[26] Yes.

[27] And when did you learn other, when did you start learning other languages?

[28] So English, it was, I started to learn it in the school, just some basics, because it's like a school program.

[29] We learn alphabet, some just very easy words, and nothing enough for like speaking at level.

[30] But when I started to compete and go and travel for the competition, that was like my push for bringing my language level to the next level.

[31] And when we moved to South America, then I started to learn Spanish.

[32] But learning Spanish, it was kind of like the hard way.

[33] I came there with no one word in Spanish, no one word.

[34] And it's straight like to there.

[35] If you want to learn Spanish, you have to speak Spanish right now.

[36] And I say from the moment what I started to speak, to the moment when I was kind of like given my first interview, it was four months.

[37] After four months, I was given my first interview in Spanish.

[38] It was not the perfect Spanish, but I still could communicate.

[39] So talk us through this journey.

[40] So why did you go to South America?

[41] I was born in Kyrgyzstan.

[42] My sister, she's martial artist.

[43] I was starting my training when I was very young age, five years old.

[44] And definitely, like, through all the years what I practiced in martial arts, I compete a lot.

[45] Every competition, a lot of martial arts.

[46] And so I started to compete in Kyrgyzstan.

[47] Then there was not any competition, like any opponents.

[48] and it was like hard to compete already.

[49] Then we started to travel.

[50] My coach, Pavel, with who I trained since the beginning, he decided like to, okay, let's explore something new.

[51] We moved to Russia for a couple of years.

[52] And then it was like also no opponents to fight with.

[53] And we decided to move next.

[54] And so see how to like explore.

[55] And definitely, I think, for martial arts, for MMA, for like anything in South America, It's a good place, and mostly it's interesting to explore, interesting culture from Russia, Kyrgyzstan.

[56] It's very far.

[57] It's kind of like totally different culture.

[58] And we decided to explore over there.

[59] We come to South America, and people there just wanted to learn a lot more Thai.

[60] We started to train, give classes, and they was asking for the seminars, and we stay a little bit more, a little bit more, and then we decide, okay, why we not stay here and live here?

[61] And we stay there and lived for eight years.

[62] So you initially went there just to find people to compete with?

[63] No, initially it was, it's very hard to say in one word what it was initially, because I'm not traveling for looking for a gym.

[64] I'm not traveling looking for something like one.

[65] I'm traveling to explore new places, to explore new culture, to have different adventures, I can say.

[66] And this is what's initial reason for traveling, to see what is there.

[67] And once you are there, you kind of like, okay, South America, it's very interesting continent.

[68] It's like it's not just one country like Peru where we both live in.

[69] It's Argentina.

[70] It's Brazil.

[71] It's Colombia.

[72] It's Ecuador, Chile.

[73] It's so many different countries.

[74] And you want to be there.

[75] You want to explore what is there.

[76] You want to see how people live.

[77] What they're thinking, what they believe.

[78] And it's kind of like it's pulling you into it.

[79] It's very hard to say, okay, now it's time to go back.

[80] Because every time when I am traveling, I want to explore more.

[81] I want to see deeper.

[82] it's for me it's not enough to see with the tourist eyes okay I take picture here there I've been there Mark no it's not enough for me I want to understand what actually people how they live is this always been something that's fascinating to you like what draws you to want to know so much about these different cultures yes I remember it was since the beginning I just like it was it is huge part of my life it's everything about me and I think it's kind of like the best schools the best education what one can get because definitely when you're in school you can learn something but this is like a real school and the travel it put you in different life situation and you have to know how to react you have to learn how to communicate with like other people because in for example I can say in your city in In your street, in your country, you can be the superstar.

[83] You travel somewhere else, and, like, for example, if you are a local star, and you go to the other country, and it kind of like they are, okay, that's okay, but what?

[84] And you have to know how to deal, how to communicate with other people.

[85] And it's put you on the ground every time, and it's kind of like good, even for the, especially for the fighters.

[86] So if you talk me through the progression of your career, when you move to Peru first, that's where you moved, were you already a world Muay champion?

[87] Oh, yes, it was five or seven, five or seven, Muay Thai world champions.

[88] And did you worry that you wouldn't get good training partners there or they wouldn't be at the same elite level that you're at?

[89] that part first I'm never worried about to find right training partner because I know this is the world it's like so many good training partners so many different people so many like you can find anyone no matter like if it's like a small place big place you can find a good level for your trainings the most important it's I think one of of the most important ones is to have a right coach because no matter how good fighter can be if it's going to be not right approach if it's going to be a right approach he can rise or she can rise if it's going to be super much talent but not right approach he will fall and this is like the worst things I think what happened that's why the most important what I was worried about Do you have right coach with me?

[90] That's why I'm travel everywhere where Pavel goes.

[91] So Pavel has been with you from the very beginning.

[92] Yes, yes, from the very beginning.

[93] That's a huge advantage.

[94] He is my coach from the first day in his gym.

[95] Oh, wow.

[96] From the year, like I started five years old when I had five years old.

[97] Wow, so you've been with him since you were five years old.

[98] Yes.

[99] I am fighting and training 28 years.

[100] Wow.

[101] Yeah.

[102] And since there, it's like it's more like a coach.

[103] which we are a team.

[104] Me, my sister, Pavel, we're a team who, like, sharing the, like, so much things in common.

[105] We love the same things, traveling, exploring, like, see different people.

[106] And, yeah, it's not just a sport.

[107] It's, like, family.

[108] Well, it's very fortunate that he was willing to travel with you.

[109] If he didn't want to move to South America, would you have stayed in in Russia?

[110] It's, you know, it's hard to tell.

[111] It's not hard to tell because I think at a certain point when everything comes in one, like in something one complete, it's not a question if they don't want, if like something happened differently.

[112] Because everything happened as it has to happen.

[113] And you never think what it would be if it would be a different way.

[114] It just happened, how it happened.

[115] And I know that this passion for travel, it's not just my passion.

[116] Pavel shares the same passion for travel.

[117] My sister shares the same.

[118] That's why we are like a good and strong team.

[119] Yeah, it's a perfect combination.

[120] So when you moved to Peru, you had no problem finding world -class strikers to train with and people to work out with?

[121] you know it's kind of like when we moved there firstly we started to train and to teach moitai and give different seminars because before it was mostly kickboxing so moitai it's more deeper martial arts it's more complete martial arts because kickboxing and just hands and kicks moitai it's everything it's elbow knee and clinching so you can wrestle till the ground.

[122] So it's kind of like more complete and it has different fight character rather than kickboxing.

[123] And this is what we're starting to do.

[124] But every time we was traveling, even we were like living in Peru, we spent it for three, four months in Thailand every time.

[125] Really?

[126] Yes.

[127] And this is amazing because, for example, we travel for the World Championships there And we just stay there for another, like, two, three months.

[128] And this is the best part.

[129] So where were you training out in Thailand?

[130] Were you at Tiger Muay Thai?

[131] Last six, seven years, it's Tiger Muay Thai.

[132] It's gym, what I represent, what I fight for.

[133] Before, it was Kosamui, WMC, La Mai Gym.

[134] So for me, it's every time I was like, if it's Thailand, it's islands.

[135] And what is the benefit of training in Thailand as opposed to training other places?

[136] I would say the spirit because what is Muay Thai?

[137] It's Thailand.

[138] It's spirit of Thailand.

[139] And definitely to train in Thailand, you have enjoy everything.

[140] But I'm not a fanatic of people who just come in there and training like three sessions a day.

[141] And they don't explore Thailand, what is that?

[142] They explore the culture, explore the food, explore what's around.

[143] They just spend all their time in the gym without see what's happening outside.

[144] To understand the full picture, you have experience everything.

[145] That's why I say every time, if you want to put yourself on the next level, you have to train but also like speak with the people.

[146] what's happening around.

[147] So it's kind of like open your eyes more widely.

[148] And you think that actually improves your skill set?

[149] It just improves your perspective, which improves your skill set?

[150] I think everything tied to each other.

[151] So there is no, for example, I would put this example.

[152] I started to learn, so I speak English, I speak Spanish, right?

[153] and when I speak when I started to learn new language it was helping me to improve my first language so it's kind of like yes it's totally different language but it's helping me to to put on the better level something what I have already that's that's why it's very hard to say if you do something it doesn't help to get to put on the next level what already you have So it's interchange.

[154] It's something that are influenced on each other.

[155] That's why for me, it's every time.

[156] Yes, to have better skills in sport, in no matter what sport, mixed martial arts, just martial arts or like whatever.

[157] Definitely you have to spend enough time on your technique.

[158] You have to spend enough time on your skills.

[159] But sometimes it's just not enough.

[160] Sometimes you have to go and see some.

[161] something else, I mean like the character of the fight of different fighter, to get this experience, to try it on yourself, not only just like, okay, this is my technique and I will perform it.

[162] It is the best way that I can.

[163] Yes.

[164] But sometimes you have to add yourself, your spirit in this technique to modify it, especially how it will work for you.

[165] And this is the only way how you know this technique will work.

[166] It's if you are just like doing it because, someone told you that is right, it's one thing.

[167] But when you started to actually feel the technique, then it's become your like so natural thing that it's kind of like, like dangerous for everyone.

[168] Did, is this something that you learned to that things all help other things?

[169] Like whatever you do, the more you experience, the broader your understanding of things, the better it helps all the things you do or is it something you were taught it's combination it's combination what i um what my mother was told me what my coach what pavel told me and definitely my own experience because i see it works first i hear from them it works it's one thing but when actually i see it works it's kind of like uh put stronger impact on you and definitely for the experience what I have through the old years what I practice in martial arts I see this is the only one like a way how put your game on the next level and now it's just intuitive now this is just how you approach things naturally yes and no it's combination sometimes you have to to break something like for example you're trying to learn something new and you go for it and you go for it and you try it's like and you have like barrier you cannot like break this barrier and you try and you try and you try sometimes you have to put there a little bit more pressure to break the barrier and it doesn't consist with anything like feeling or something like intuition or something like that but once you break it, then it's like different level.

[170] And then you have to start to learn how to feel it from inside to perform it's a better way.

[171] So your, what was your initial martial art you started with when you're five years old?

[172] I started with Taekwondo, Taekwondo ITF.

[173] Yeah, this was my first part.

[174] And then how did you branch out from there?

[175] Like what were the years?

[176] When did you start training in different arts um so it's uh every time that what what uh was idea of pavel uh pavel every time was thinking about universal fighter about like fighter who uh doesn't have any like problem uh for example if you are speaking about striker striker every time would feel something weird and like uncomfortable when uh someone when others start to wrestle him, right?

[177] And wrestler, he definitely he will feel not the best strange when he's fighting.

[178] So the idea every time was to be like universal, to create from his student universal fighters.

[179] That's why he put us in different competition.

[180] As Kyrgyzstan, it's little country.

[181] And there is so many martial arts, so many like schools.

[182] And Pavel have friends, like presidents of federation, of karate, of presentation, like different style, take wonder, wushu sanda, so like different competition we would have.

[183] And we competed in different ones.

[184] Like in my childhood, it was like thousand different competition.

[185] And this is what, like, helped me to feel the different style of fighting, different.

[186] technique and I never had like problem to fight in different style.

[187] It was a problem.

[188] It was kind of like how good you can transform yourself for the like switch the chip for the different martial artists.

[189] That's why there I cannot say there was like okay this day I switch stand up for the ground or like I start to train like more tight since this day.

[190] because it's just never happened.

[191] It was everything like everything like so naturally development like going from one style to another style.

[192] And more if we're speaking about taekwondo, there is like taekwondo professional style, pro tequando.

[193] It's the same like fighting similar to Muay Thai, but they wrestle with more like throws.

[194] I mean like judo throws or freestyle wrestling throws.

[195] So it's more like a wide variety of throws.

[196] So it's kind of like also help for my competition in Muay Thai.

[197] Yeah, but when I started to compete more frequently in Muay Thai, it's I would say since 2003.

[198] And then you became just much more Muay -focused?

[199] Much more, it started about 2005, six, because before it was like, we already started to fight Muay Thai, MMA, and on that time, it was less competition for female fighters in mixed martial arts.

[200] It was very hard to find, like, frequent fights.

[201] If you want to keep, like, busy and fight every time, you would fight, like, more.

[202] like in stand -up because there is more opportunities for you.

[203] And this is how it started that I started to focus more in Muay Thai because it was more opportunities in Muay Thai.

[204] But in 2010, when female MMA started to like just like Poo, explode, yeah, we definitely was like thinking to come back, do the same.

[205] And we started to compete in Muay Thai and MMA.

[206] So it's interesting that you're the beginning of your.

[207] journey in martial arts coincides with the beginning of the UFC.

[208] So if we go back 28 years, we're talking about like 1993, right?

[209] Like that is the beginning of the UFC.

[210] Oh my God.

[211] It's a good example, no?

[212] Yeah, it's a perfect example, right?

[213] Because one of the things that we've always said as this sport has grown is that it's really interesting to watch these young kids growing up with martial arts, with mixed martial arts, as opposed to, you know, they would be 30 years old with a lifetime of wrestling and then learn how to strike and then enter the UFC.

[214] We're seeing people like yourself that when you started your martial arts journey was the beginning of the UFC, which is pretty crazy.

[215] It is.

[216] And I think it's...

[217] And now you're a UFC champion.

[218] I know.

[219] It's crazy.

[220] It's something that means so much for me now, yeah.

[221] Yeah.

[222] Well, you're a UFC champion.

[223] I know.

[224] It's crazy.

[225] you're not just a UFC champion.

[226] You're one of the best champions.

[227] It's very unique to watch you fight because you're one of those people like Anderson Silva in his prime where you've kind of cleaned out your division.

[228] And there's no disrespect to your opponents.

[229] But some of your opponents, when I'm watching you fight them, I'm not thinking, are they going to beat you?

[230] I'm thinking, what are you going to do to them?

[231] It's a strange position to be in where you're almost like competing you're competing against these women but your level is so much higher than everyone else in this 125 pound division that there's just not much there for you in terms of like Valentina has to fight this woman there there's no fight like that for you I think that definitely this is one of my goals in my performance in my training and um definitely definitely is this is like what I the idea of my fight style to be able to win the fight made the fight very beautiful from the technical side very intensive very like just high level martial art but in the same time without do it like dirty fight like street fight just like different level when you can finish your opponent without Zemtachio.

[232] So this is kind of like ideally ideal.

[233] Ideal.

[234] Well, you can see how you sometimes impose the opponent's style on them.

[235] It's almost like you're challenging yourself.

[236] Like the Jessica -on -Drage fight.

[237] Like coming into that fight, most people thought the only way she would have any sort of advantage at all would possibly be grappling.

[238] And so what did you do?

[239] You out -grappled there.

[240] Did you do that on purpose?

[241] No, no, no. I don't know.

[242] This is what I think it's no. Because maybe people just like was speaking about that so much so frequently before the fight.

[243] Maybe it's just stay in my like mind and was there.

[244] But you know, I never felt that this is a position dangerous for me. Since the beginning, since I know exactly what is my strength.

[245] I know.

[246] exactly what is my power.

[247] That's why it's never was a doubt.

[248] Would I be good there?

[249] No, I know what I can.

[250] I know exactly what I have to be worried about, what I have to worry about in the fight.

[251] I know that I have to be careful, like to see everything because it's MMA, everything can happen.

[252] You cannot just go there and say, okay, I'm a champion.

[253] Everyone has to fall down.

[254] No, you cannot.

[255] You have to be wild.

[256] You have to be like a wild animal ready for anything.

[257] But in the same time, you just, you cannot overestimate your opponent.

[258] Because you are overestimate them.

[259] It's going to be like not interesting fight.

[260] You're going to be like just afraid of throwing anything.

[261] And that's why you have to find the balance.

[262] And the balance is everything.

[263] where you are like you can do whatever without any fear but in the same time very careful and I never before the fight put some like challenges for me would I be good there would I be good like what I do like for my next fight I train myself for the different situation and this is what we are working like and it's not just my work it's like teamwork work, Pavel Antonina, we all watching our opponents, and we share what we think about then, what we have to be worried, what we have to work on.

[264] And through our training camps, through trainings, we just work on every possible situation.

[265] And even, for example, I saw some situation in the fight was happening, like, not with my opponent or, like, different, completely different fight.

[266] And we try this situation.

[267] We try what I will do, how I would escape, or how I will finish from this situation.

[268] So we just getting ready for anything.

[269] And this is what I think helped me to take right decision during the fight because I don't have time to think about what I will do next, what my technique will be next.

[270] In the fight, it's everything happened instantly.

[271] And I have to be sure that my brain and my body ready to act.

[272] Well, it's very clear that you have a very well -rounded skill set, but it's also clear that when you're faced with particular challenges, your preparation for those particular challenges almost puts you in a situation where you want to try, like the Giuliana Pena fights, a good example of that, right?

[273] Like, you shocked the world when you armbard her, because everybody felt like if she had a chance to beat you, it would be grappling, and you as a Muay champion, if you had a chance to beat her, it would be your striking.

[274] But then when you submitted her, everybody was like, holy shit.

[275] That was a wake -up call for a lot of people that you're not just well -rounded, but you are capable of finishing everywhere, that you're lethal everywhere.

[276] Yeah, this is what every time was in my training, my goals for the competition.

[277] Not just go there and compete, but go there and win.

[278] Doesn't matter what I have to do to win the fight.

[279] I have to find the solution I have to find the way to win the fight and every time it was like my mindset I don't like this idea just go and have fun in the fight I don't like idea just be there and like just to experience the feeling I think for someone is good but if you have like higher goals for yourself you have to put higher goals like higher like things what you're thinking for This is in my head.

[280] This is what I had since the beginning.

[281] That no matter what happening, I have to find solution to turn the fight to my side and win the fight.

[282] And definitely I was like, I understood fighting in mixed martial arts.

[283] I have to have more arms.

[284] I have to have more advantages like if we are comparing with other fighter.

[285] because more advantage you have it's kind of like in the war right you have a handgun you have like certain like percentage to win you have like more like arms in your like position you have more percentage so i want to have like 100 percentage to win the fight that's why i was training like everything and like training not just pretend to do technique but know how to make people tap after this technique.

[286] Yeah, so when you're saying more arms, you mean more weapons, right?

[287] Exactly.

[288] Yeah, just for people.

[289] Now, is this something that was just inside of you when you first started doing martial arts?

[290] Like, how did you, when did you realize that you had this competitive spirit that would lead you to become a champion?

[291] Was this something that you knew from the beginning?

[292] Or was it something that you developed along the way?

[293] Like, did you always know that you wanted to be a martial arts champion?

[294] I started as I say five years old and as a like regular child normal child like I doubt that anyone at this age would clearly know what they want what they want to do in the future for the children it's like what they want to do just have fun play play around with the same children like I was not exception so it was the same I just wanted I don't know just to be a child but my mom she put myself and my sister Antonina to the gym of Pavel and we started to train there so she had vision for us that her children her daughters have to do martial arts because she is martial artist and she knew exactly This is something that she wants for us to be strong, to be confident, to be like just fearless of anything because martial arts give that all.

[295] And definitely at first, it was not anything deep.

[296] I mean, like knowing that one day I will be the champion, something like that.

[297] No, it was just playing, doing some techniques in form of play.

[298] and just exercise but when I started to grow up and I started to understand actually what I doing like and what I want to be in the future it was I'm saying about like age 12 13 14 this is the perfect age for the children for the child to understand and analyze what they're doing the life, what they're looking for, what is their expectation from the life.

[299] And this is the age when I actually started to train with a lot of sense.

[300] With a lot of like, I understood that this is my life.

[301] This is martial arts.

[302] What I want to be like I want to do forever.

[303] Like this is what I wanted to do.

[304] And I didn't know where it's going to lead me. I didn't know it's just like you one thing you never know where it's going to lead you can expect something but you don't know how it's going to end and for me it was just like to have this experience to have this way in martial arts just to enjoy the process and this is how it's everything started but I would say once I start to understand that this is my life martial arts then I put my heart to all like trainings and like I wanted to be better and better.

[305] And there it was, I discover my, like, talent, what I can do, what is my good side.

[306] And I discovered that I can understand technique way faster than other people, like, children the same age, and I can perform it, like, a little bit better.

[307] And so this is I start to just to feel it inside me. So your mother was a martial artist as well.

[308] She is martial artist.

[309] She is martial artist, not just what.

[310] No. What style did she start with?

[311] She's president of Kyrgyzstan Muay Thai Federation, actually.

[312] Wow.

[313] Yes, she has her students, she has her team, what she's like trained and what she traveled to world championships.

[314] But yes, and she started when she was young and it's kind of like was her passion for Zia.

[315] for her life and I'm so happy that she decides that this is what we will do because it's kind of like yeah because of her I am where I am right now so your mother started with Muay Thai or did she have a bunch of different martial arts as well she started in the time when it was like karate but it was like Soviet Union karate underground karate because As you know, in Soviet Union, it was prohibited to do karate.

[316] Karate was prohibited?

[317] Until when?

[318] Until the Soviet Union collapsed.

[319] Why was karate prohibited?

[320] Because the philosophy of karate, it was against the philosophy what Soviet Union had.

[321] Because karate, it's more like different philosophy.

[322] It's like oriental philosophy.

[323] In Soviet Union, it was.

[324] everything strict.

[325] So what martial arts were legal in the Soviet Union?

[326] What sport?

[327] The sport, it was...

[328] Boxing, judo.

[329] It was samba.

[330] Sambo.

[331] Because it's like it's sambo, it was a combination of judo and what they created in Russia.

[332] And this sports, like gymnastics, like at least season, the running, right?

[333] like Summer, Summer Olympic Games, we can say.

[334] So, yeah, this is, but the cult of sport, it was very strong.

[335] When did Combat Sambo start to make its emergence?

[336] Because Combat Sambo took essentially a lot of the techniques of mixed martial arts, but wore the ghee top.

[337] Like, when did that start?

[338] You know, I cannot tell exactly, but you know, that sport, sport samba and combat samba it's definitely more every time more it was about the sport samba it's just a wrestle yeah it's every time it was like more as something that more children would do and more like influence but with I would say when it's all martial arts like take wonder karate it was like it started to be more popular then definitely it was more time for the fighting styles for the martial arts like combat sports it was like just insane it just was everywhere so it wasn't until the collapse of the soviet union that things like karate and taekwondo and all these other martial arts became popular yes and free and free and then they started integrating that with combat zambo and and becoming mixed martial arts in Russia.

[339] You know, I would say that combat samba, it was since the beginning, because it's part, like, if I'm not mistaken, it was kind of like what's military was training.

[340] So, yeah.

[341] But if you're speaking about, like, competition, about what people competing right now, yeah, it's different.

[342] So you start out with Taekwondo, and then you make your way to Muay Thai, and when you were a teenager, you start deciding that this is going to be your life.

[343] Did you have any other dreams or interests or hobbies or passions, or was it just martial arts?

[344] You know, my life, it was so much different things to do.

[345] And I mean just to learn different things.

[346] That's why I never had this like, oh, I want to do that, that.

[347] and I never had this like I have to choose one I have to choose or I am martial artist or I'm like I don't know something else I didn't have and I'm lucky that I didn't have this like that I have to choose because for example in my opinion a person can be complete in everything it doesn't matter like he can be martial arts artist but the same way good artists like paint or like play some instrument musical instrument or singer or good shooter or some different profession because if we're singing about for example we have life right and to become a professional in something we are studying for example it's take five years to be professional in certain things right if you're speaking about university or something like that so why we don't spend another like two three years to um learn something else another years to learn more and uh it's gonna fulfill you as a person to add more knowledge into you that's why uh for me it's never was like okay you're just martial artist my mom she um when i started do martial arts She said, like, okay, you're also going to do dance.

[348] So it was like same things that I did since childhood.

[349] I was dancing and doing martial artists because it's kind of like balancing each other.

[350] It's like you're not going to one side too much and other side you're going to be in between.

[351] Keeps the perfect balance.

[352] And for example, then when I discover the shooting competition, it was a, other things that I wanted to learn more to be there like better every day to just do what I like and same with the languages I never start I never and I don't want to stop to learn I want to learn every day something new it's interesting that that that concept of balance was written about in the 1400s by miyamoto musashi when he talked about being a great swordsman He talked about balance that you had to learn poetry and you had to learn calligraphy and art. And he was a big believer that you didn't just concentrate on sword fighting.

[353] You concentrated on all these things and that they work synergistically.

[354] They work together.

[355] And this is true because you're a good martial artist, yes, but you want to be a good person as well, right?

[356] And more, you know, it's just you are like a better person.

[357] And I think it's very important.

[358] Your education, it means a lot.

[359] And you have to put all money in your education.

[360] And not only just like do whatever you like.

[361] What, for example, when you were growing up, for example, anyone had some dreams or some things that was like huge inspiration.

[362] for them and then for the like time pass and you're thinking okay now it's too late to start to learn something and it's kind of like you're just wasting time but actually it's never late it's never late to learn something you were you were like wanted to do all your life it just you just have to start to make your first step and this is the hardest i think the first step but once you do it and when you understand that this is the how it should be works how it should be everything going to be like fine and you're going to just love it and just continue to learn continue to grow continue to make yourself a better person yeah it's so smart that your mother enrolled you also in dance and got you to learn dance as well as martial arts because the two the skill sets are so interchangeable like you see it like vasila lo machenko perfect example, he learned dance for years and he has this incredible footwork that you see has given him a huge advantage in boxing.

[363] And with you, when you fight, one thing that I've always notice is you never are flat -footed.

[364] You're always moving.

[365] You're always, you're never a stationary target.

[366] You never get lazy.

[367] You're always, your back heel is always off the ground.

[368] And that is not the case with everyone, the people that don't have like the kind of leg dexterity that you have or the kind of ability to move your footwork, they may be, that's a big advantage, I think.

[369] Agree and not agree.

[370] It's like yes and no. Because if you want to be a good one at something, you have to work, you have to spend more time to work on this.

[371] thing on that thing definitely dances uh they're gonna help probably with your balance as they're gonna help with something but um it's not something that would help you to win the fight definitely no do you think it helps footwork though um i would say it helped with more like if you're speaking a balance because in dancing we have a lot of spins right and um yeah yeah Different dance have different level, like different movements.

[372] But I'm speaking about like folk dance, what I was doing, like folk dance or like Russian dance.

[373] It's kind of like a part of ballet, a part of like traditional like traditional dance of different countries.

[374] And a lot of spins.

[375] And definitely it's kind of like help you to do like round kicks or something like that.

[376] But I would say.

[377] If the leadman, your coach, have very right of approach of how to teach the students, it's not necessary to do dancing.

[378] He can just, or she can just teach their students on how to do the footwork, what is the better way to move or something like that.

[379] The other thing, not every coach naturally like teacher, because it also takes a lot of knowledge.

[380] Coach has to have this vision of technique and not only vision of how to teach exactly this technique for every student.

[381] No, also it's like he has, for example, five different students, five different like biometrics, fight style, like different type of muscles, different, just different.

[382] And he has one technique.

[383] one two like two straight like two hooks whatever but everyone would hit it differently and if the coach see and combine specific of each fighter with their like right angle how to turn the fist or something like that and can see this detail and say okay this is your thing do it right there this will work for you maybe it's not the classical one maybe it's not the right what you maybe it's not the right what everyone thinks like this is the right weight for this for this punch maybe it's like just a little bit angle just something like that but it's work for the student and the student is winning with this technique so this is the uh what uh coach has to have this type of the vision but what i see many coaches they know their technique and they don't see the specification of each fighter the like biotype of the fighter and they try to just break the nature gift what the fighter have and put this technique just like what they are thinking it's going to be right and this is what I want to say is this is wrong because it's kind of like it's not helping fighter to win and to get the right technique for themselves what it will work for them it's just like what coach like just he's not naturally teacher This is what I mean the most important.

[384] It's not about dance.

[385] It's not about fighting.

[386] It's about right coach what you have.

[387] So it's about recognizing that each person is different and not trying to impose one style on all the fighters.

[388] Exactly, exactly.

[389] Because even one style can be different.

[390] Even like it's the same, but a little bit different.

[391] Just small details.

[392] and coach has to see it.

[393] He has to understand.

[394] And that's really where the art in martial arts comes from, right?

[395] It's this expression of the individual that comes out while competing and while training.

[396] Exactly.

[397] Yes, I totally agree.

[398] And it is an art, and to us, like, to people who practice martial arts, like, when I watch you fight, it's beautiful, it is an art. You know, even the most brutal parts of it, like when you knocked out Jessica I, like, it's beautiful like the way you set up the kick to the body and then switched up to the head that's for someone who appreciates what that is like how you did that it's beautiful this is like I think that's why it's called martial arts but for people it's interesting because people that don't practice martial arts they don't like that term I've heard that describe I've heard people talk disparagingly about martial arts saying that is not all It's just brutality, it's just violence.

[399] And although brutality and violence is a part of the art, it is art. Because it's fighting art, definitely.

[400] You cannot just go there and say to your opponent, okay, let's agree, I do the technique and you will do that technique, and then I win.

[401] So you can't just, it's all about the fight.

[402] Yeah, it's about expressing yourself while the other person is trying to express themselves and you both have similar -sized bodies, at least they weigh the same, and you're trying to figure out how to impose your skill set and your training and your technique and your mind.

[403] Exactly.

[404] And that, I think, is one of the more interesting things about you is this approach that you've taken to life, to educate yourself, to immerse yourself in different cultures and to achieve balance, clearly that is having some sort of effect for you as a champion.

[405] like you're a different kind of person because of all these experiences and I think that speaks volumes on who you are as a champion I think it's one of the reasons why you're such an interesting person to watch fight um thank you I think yes it's kind of like experience what I have through the years what I practice in martial arts it's um teach me how to I have, how I have to react for the certain situation in the life, right?

[406] And I see, for example, many young people, they are, for example, having some success and they are starting to believe in themselves too much.

[407] No, belief is a wrong word.

[408] It's like thinking about themselves too much.

[409] And thinking about themselves, they are like untouchable or like, yes.

[410] And it definitely will affect their trainings.

[411] But what I learned through the years in the training, you have to be the most simple person as you can be.

[412] Because it's a fight.

[413] It's a real fight.

[414] It's not a fight and saying what you can do beautiful.

[415] and repeat or something like that it's real exactly and if you have the wrong approach to what you have to like represent in the fight you never will be the like winner and definitely it's experience what I got and through the years it just show me that while I'm fighting I don't have time to think about like myself too much like ours and like like that you cannot you just cannot because it's going to last before your fight and in the fight you're going to see no it's not working you have to come back so clearly you have confidence but you also think that it's important to have humility definitely and important to understand you have to do everything to win the fight because if you have you start to have like to have mercy on something like that in the fight it doesn't work or you're winner or you're going to be loser so decide who you want to be winner or loser yeah just decide it's easy simple it's simple if it was only that simple do you have an idea of when you're going to stop competing uh no no i don't have any idea because I like the way, the lifestyle what I have right now.

[416] I feel myself so strong, so healthy, so good.

[417] That's why I want to experience that feeling as long as I can.

[418] I want to see what my body is capable of.

[419] I want to see my limits.

[420] I want to see where I can go.

[421] Because if you are like putting this certain day, certain year, till what time you're going to compete, It's kind of like, my opinion, it's not good because you're starting to go to your end slowly but surely.

[422] Yeah, it messes with your head.

[423] You think about it.

[424] I think so.

[425] And if you are just enjoy the time, what you are, and just experience and want to just do the best things what you can without like, okay, this is my limit.

[426] And you just do it the best way you can.

[427] this is the only way to explore what you're capable of.

[428] So right now you're 33?

[429] Yes.

[430] And so this is the prime of your athletic life.

[431] I hope it's still come.

[432] It's still coming.

[433] But I'm sure there's years to go, but this is like athletically.

[434] They say early 30s for a fighter is their prime because that's when their mind catches up with their body.

[435] I would add a little bit more about the, um, we don't know.

[436] know because if if compare like what it was five 10 years ago what how people were like at age 30 years old for example 10 years ago they would feel themselves as like okay so it's a lot they are already like family persons and they are like not thinking about competing or do something like Now we have a different scale.

[437] Now people, like at age 30, they feel younger than it was before.

[438] That's why I don't know how, like, if we can say this is a prime.

[439] Maybe not.

[440] Maybe prime.

[441] It's now 40 years old.

[442] Oh, who knows?

[443] Well, I think you love competition so much.

[444] You want to drag it out.

[445] You want to stretch it out.

[446] Probably.

[447] I love it a lot, but it's so hard.

[448] It's so hard to have training camp.

[449] and it's more than just physically, it's mentally.

[450] And combination when it's physically and mentally, this is what is really hard.

[451] Because I notice that mentally, what I mean, like mentally, not just your preparation, but when you have to every day train with your training partner or different training partners, and you know it's going to be like mini -battle, and you know that you have to push yourself to the like doing better thing.

[452] It's not just like just running or just any physical exercises to do without too much mental like things to push.

[453] So it's easier.

[454] But in mixed martial arts, in martial arts, it's combination physically and mentally what it's making that hard.

[455] That's why it's kind of like so hard during the training camp.

[456] But it's worst.

[457] It's worse when you feel your hands raise up and like everything good.

[458] Even if something happened, sometimes it's something that happened, not the way you want.

[459] Even that one, it gives you so much energy to continue.

[460] That's why my opinion, martial arts, it's the best thing what anyone can have.

[461] So meaning when things don't go your way, then it gives you motivation to train harder and get better.

[462] Motivation and also like the energy of the event of the fight or for example it put your level of martial art like on the next level it's teach you it's like sometimes you teach one technique for years and sometimes you just have to fight in the real fight and you will understand the technique so fast.

[463] Yeah.

[464] Yeah.

[465] When you're talking about your body and your mind and the difficulty, you're now training at the UFC Performance Institute, which is an amazing facility in Las Vegas, which for sure helps the body, right?

[466] Oh, definitely.

[467] Because you have access to state -of -the -art equipment, state -of -the -art coaches and nutritionists, and it's an amazing place.

[468] do you work on your mind in sense of do you study psychology?

[469] Do you meditate?

[470] Nothing.

[471] No, no. I have very different, very unusual approach for my trainings.

[472] For example, physically, I don't like to train these weights.

[473] I don't like to train with some very popular equipment.

[474] what's like modern fighters working, I prefer like focus myself on the training in the gym.

[475] For the mental, I work on my mental game during the training as well.

[476] For example, I give this example.

[477] My coach, he's set in time, Pavel, he's setting time how many minutes one round going to be.

[478] How long is the training going to be?

[479] So coming into the gym, we don't have like from 10 to 11, this is our training.

[480] From 10 to 12, this is a limit for our training.

[481] No, we have like three, four hours, the window.

[482] And it's decision of Pavel, when's the training going to stop.

[483] So it can go all three hours, sometimes all four hours.

[484] It's all up to him.

[485] And this is like, for example, this is the mental preparation, the mental game that you are dying in the training physically, but your mind is saying continue.

[486] Your coach is saying continue, and you are pushing yourself to continue.

[487] This is the best mental preparation what you can have for the fight.

[488] When your body already says, I cannot, but your mind says, yes, you can.

[489] It's kind of like opening the second respiration, second respiration.

[490] Yeah, something like that.

[491] So through this difficult training and forcing yourself to stay focused in the gym, that's where your mental training comes from.

[492] Yes, because, as I said earlier, to be the best version of yourself in anything, in something in martial arts, for example, you have to do everything what's considering with martial arts.

[493] You cannot do like psychology, psychology apart because if you go, go to as a person who doesn't know what is that fighter psychology or never was in the fight it doesn't know how it feels in the fight they will give your own advices they will teach your own things no so it's completely you don't want to happen it's something that gonna mess they're gonna like choke to each other strike each other and be completely like not incompatible exactly so this is you never want to happen did you get advice from other fighters did you did you like train with other champions and get advice from them at all i train with other champions but um i don't need advices the only person who i take advices this is my coach my sister and my mom only three person what i consider that they are have right to give me advices.

[494] Well, obviously it's working.

[495] This is the most important.

[496] Yeah, the most important things that it's working.

[497] But it doesn't matter.

[498] I won't listen to something like what people have right, saying right or something like exactly that I consider would work for me. It doesn't mean that I will close the eyes and I won't listen.

[499] No, I won't do that, definitely.

[500] I will take it.

[501] But I mean to go to someone and like, okay, okay.

[502] share your experience, share your like, no, no, it's not, even like you will listen it for a thousand times.

[503] If you are not experienced it, you never will feel it.

[504] It never will, it's never will work for you.

[505] So backwards, when I feel a person trying to give too much advice When no one asks them to give that advice, I feel like, okay, maybe I have to get away from that person.

[506] Yes.

[507] Yeah, that's a weird one, right?

[508] When someone is, it's usually someone who's not that good.

[509] Oh, no. They can be good.

[510] Yeah?

[511] They can be good, like physically, like technically, but they may be not that good with their mental.

[512] Yeah, maybe, right?

[513] Maybe they're trying to convince themselves.

[514] Oh, yeah.

[515] By talking to and giving you advice.

[516] It's interesting you say you don't like to use modern training equipment.

[517] Do you mean like weightlifting, like cardio machines?

[518] Like what do you mean?

[519] Exactly.

[520] Waylifting cardio machine, I don't like them.

[521] You don't like them, no?

[522] No, no. But you look like you do.

[523] It's interesting.

[524] Like you look very fit and strong and someone would assume if they saw you and you're fighting, Oh, she must do a lot of strength and conditioning work.

[525] No, I don't.

[526] No, I don't like to run, like, I hate run.

[527] And I don't like to hit pads also.

[528] You don't hit pads.

[529] I hit pads, but I don't like to do that.

[530] I know some people, it's like favorite thing because they don't have to fight or something like that, like this have this mental pressure.

[531] But I rather do five rounds of fight, like sparrings, than do, like, five.

[532] for ounce on pads.

[533] No, I just don't like it.

[534] What about working with power, with techniques?

[535] Do you like to hit the bag?

[536] Oh, yes.

[537] Yes.

[538] I do everything, bags, pads, but I just don't like it.

[539] You don't like it.

[540] Do you like any more than the other?

[541] Do you like bag more than pads?

[542] For bags, it can be sometimes a little bit more lazy.

[543] You can relax, you can explode, you can like do you like manage your timing for the pads especially when pavel hold pads it's just intensive all five rounds not stop and it's like this is what i for in the fight i can um like in the sparring i can find timing when i rest when i explode yeah in when i hitting pads and pavel holding pads there is no time for it just go go you can't control but definitely what i'm working on it's like a lot of work with partner.

[544] When you wrestle, it's your weightlifting.

[545] It's the same, but with someone who moves, someone who responds, has someone who make you do your protection.

[546] So for me, this is my training style, what I do day by day.

[547] And this is where I get my strengths, where I get my power and I'm my speed.

[548] how many times a day do you train uh one time a day now yes that's unusual right for professional fighters for me no for nothing i would say um if um a person still learning and still like uh like many things to work on they have or teenagers or like children's they have to work like twice a day or like some three times too much no twice a day that's fine or they have to work more I was working more so I was training more when I was like early ages now it's enough one time a day it's more than enough and you know people sometimes do for example one hour in the morning the inspirings in afternoon and it's kind of like they tired here they tired there and they cannot do one hard session and show like everything put in the sparrings and have this whole energy.

[549] They just like do it's not here and not there it's something in between and you don't know like do I have to do that or that and sometimes you just like feel so tired when the time is fight and you're like on the in your changing room in the fighting room before your fight you're thinking oh I wish it's gonna finish soon because I'm so tired this is I don't want to happen.

[550] I want to feel so much energy for my fight because it's good if you are training good but the most important part to win the fight right yes it's some some people they confuse they think that uh they have to train like like so hard and like to prove something like that but for the time in the fight they don't have energy they like a balloon right they go down and so this is very thin line where you have to know what is good for your body and where you have to know how to manage your training system.

[551] And is this something that you've just figured out about yourself over the years?

[552] I think this is what my team is training right now, how we prepare for the fight.

[553] Yes, it works for me. It works for me because we do a very hard session.

[554] This one, but very hard one.

[555] just one but that is unusual if you pay attention to other mMA fighters they usually break it up to two things a day usually they're doing a strength conditioning workout or maybe they're doing pads in the morning and then they're doing some sort of sparring maybe wrestling and jujitsu in the afternoon and then maybe they'll do mMA sparring in the evening so sometimes you have these three sessions but you prepare differently yes and um i don't like like to do like separate, for example, now it's Muay time, now it's wrestling time, now it's grappling time.

[556] I don't like it because we're fighting mixed martial arts.

[557] It has to be everything in one.

[558] That's why in my training we do everything at once.

[559] So you never just do only jiu -jitsu?

[560] If you're speaking about training camp, no. If you're speaking about like after the fight in between, definitely I don't want to spar every day.

[561] So, like, right now, right now you just beat Lauren Murphy.

[562] You're off for a while.

[563] You don't, do you have an idea of when you'll be competing again?

[564] I don't have it yet.

[565] I didn't ask you to see yet about my next fight.

[566] And, yeah, I just take my time.

[567] Yeah, so right now you maybe would do a jiu -jitsu class or train something differently just to try it out.

[568] Yeah, I could.

[569] I train every day, not every day.

[570] Now I train like one day, one rest, one day, one rest.

[571] But just to maintain, maintain physical and maintain mood, the most important mood.

[572] So you need some training just to stay calm.

[573] To stay happy.

[574] Happy, yes.

[575] Not calm, happy.

[576] Because I feel that I don't know how people feel with no trainings.

[577] like they just don't train they just don't sweat and it feels so weird for me I feel that the sweat it's like it's favorite favorite phrase of my sisters like when you take shower like you feel clean right but when you sweat in the training you feel clean from inside so this is for me that I have to do constantly and I just feel if I'm not training my mood is like starting to be crazy and it's like You never know what to expect.

[578] Now she's laughing.

[579] That's why she's angry.

[580] No, I have to train her.

[581] That's the case with everybody, I think.

[582] I really do.

[583] I just think most people just choose to live this way where they don't have a real good grasp on their body and a good control over it because of exercise.

[584] Yes, yes.

[585] I think so.

[586] It's definitely even training martial arts, you don't have to fight.

[587] You don't have to be professional fighter.

[588] Just do it for yourself.

[589] and like everyone would feel the difference.

[590] They're going to be happier people.

[591] So when you structure your training camp, does Pavel structure at all?

[592] Like say if you have a fight and it gets scheduled, you have 12 weeks or whatever you use for preparation.

[593] Does Pavel schedule everything?

[594] He schedules everything.

[595] So you just show up, put in your time, and that's it.

[596] Yes and no. We are participating in everything.

[597] So it's not something that, I like to know everything.

[598] I like, like, this is, I like to understand how everything work.

[599] And I'm not only speaking about training in the training camp.

[600] I'm speaking about everything.

[601] It doesn't matter what we do.

[602] I want to understand what we're going to do.

[603] What is like things we will work.

[604] So it's kind of like work, teamwork.

[605] And definitely we are speaking about what to expect from the training camp, where we're going to have training camp, because it doesn't mean we are training at the same location all the time.

[606] We love to travel, to have training camps in different gyms, in different states, in different countries.

[607] So we plan it in advance.

[608] We're thinking about, like, considering, for example, my fight is going to be in this type of the climate, so where it's going to be better to train.

[609] And we just plan it in, like, all together.

[610] This is, I think, the best when everyone knowing what's happening.

[611] And you've moved around in this country as well, right?

[612] You've trained, you trained in Denver for a bit?

[613] For the fight with Juliana Pena, yes.

[614] So is that when you started training with Rose?

[615] Because you and Rose have done Rose Nomahunas who have done some training together too.

[616] Was that beneficial for you?

[617] I think it's beneficial for everyone.

[618] For example, when high -level athletes training each other, it's kind of like good for both it's everyone can take something for themselves and it's something that good experience and we build our like good relationship friends relationships and it's amazing to have friends were doing like the same thing what you are doing and sharing the same ideas what you are having for this training camp for example in my training camp was Brandon Marina and it's like his amazing guy very strong guy, very like a strong technique.

[619] And it was amazing to train with him as well.

[620] So I think it's like every time no matter who I train with, I learn something new from them.

[621] No matter what levels they are, I able to learn something from them.

[622] Do you take trips specifically, like say if you're going to face someone who's a great judo expert, do you train specifically?

[623] Do you train specifically, like, would you go to a place and train with like a Kayla Harrison or something like that or someone who was specifically a judo stylist?

[624] First of all, we're considering to have a similar weight class.

[625] This is the number one rule because, for example, if someone is, I'm not just speaking about Kayla right now.

[626] I'm speaking like a general.

[627] I know.

[628] I'm speaking about general.

[629] Sometimes it's like it's not beneficial.

[630] Even the, like, a person, they are, like, skillful, super controlled and do, like, so good their things.

[631] It's, they just don't do it in their heart, full power because they are just bigger and they're just stronger.

[632] It's not good for you because you have to feel this, like, a moment when you're kind of, like, breaking them or they kind of, like, have this thing when they are, like, have this thing when they are, like, in their, technique you have to feel the moment you have to be able to go hard exactly yeah and this is like the number one rule so I like to train and I'm trained with the training partner similar my weight class when you have competed at 135 pounds was that an issue like when when you went up to 135 well your first fights in the UFC there was no 125 pound division yes so like when you fought Holly home when you fought him out of Nunes these fights are all at 135 pounds did you feel when you were in that division did you were just a little undersized oh yes definitely I was a smaller one yeah and for 135 I never like was worried about cutting weight what did you weigh at when when you weighed 135 did you walk around walk around this is my walk wage right now like 135 this is I walk and if I start, stop to train for like one week and eat every day, 138 may be maximum, but with training it's like 135, 36 so yeah and definitely it's I didn't experience any problem fighting 135 but definitely I would have to think more about strategy for the fight being smaller you cannot you have to think about different tactic how to approach to different fighter because sometimes you will have enough power to break them sometimes no so it's kind of like yes or no maybe and you have to have your backup plan and you have to have your like body ready for different game plan that's why it's uh i didn't have problem to fight in one 35 but but I every time was to think about something extra things.

[633] Do you foresee a possibility of you competing at 135 pounds again?

[634] Because Amanda Nunes is kind of running out of opposition, and you're kind of running out of opposition, and you both had epic fights against each other.

[635] Do you think that that's possible?

[636] There is only one possibility, why I move up to 135, and this is it.

[637] Yeah.

[638] Do you think that could be the case someday?

[639] I think so, why not?

[640] If everything's going to continue like that way, it's just going to be inevitable.

[641] Is there anyone in your division right now in 125 where you look at them and you say, I want to fight her?

[642] It's just not my style.

[643] It's just like, okay, it's not my style, I would say, to pick opponent for you.

[644] because all the time when I was fighting Muay Thai MMA I was like Valentina would you fight her yes Valentina would you fight her yes her yes so it was like the way I am it is the way I am I'm not choosing my opponents I'm not looking for some like easy fights I want to fight with the best ones that's why I just not picking one I just wait when you see and I'm like okay this is your opponent well it's it is an unusual situation though like i said you are in this position that's very similar to like many of the great fighters that are dominant champions where you don't have one person who stands out i think that there is a lot of girls it's a lot like in 125 it's uh the most comfortable weight class for females like once 125 it's not too big not too small and a lot of girls they are like in this weight class and like from the straw weights they're going up from the bantam weight they're going down so it's just like very strong girls over there but as i said um like it's wrong to compare uh like when they fight me and you have to watch them fighting like to see their levels because my goal is to fight differently it's like i say when you can finish them, but they cannot touch you.

[645] So it's every time it was the same.

[646] Muay Thai was the same.

[647] For example, I was watching them fights to each other before I fight them.

[648] And it was like, wow, yeah.

[649] But then it's completely different.

[650] So it's kind of like, in 125, I think there is like whole rosters, they are very good.

[651] They are very strong.

[652] And you could see the last event when it was all bonuses for the female fighters.

[653] Yeah.

[654] No, there's obviously some great, great talent in the female division of the UFC.

[655] Was Amanda Nunes your most difficult fights?

[656] I never was considered, like, difficulty of the fight only for the fight, for this fight for us or less.

[657] For me, difficulty of the fight, it's combination of training camp, your approach to the fight, fight week and the fight itself so I still cannot like answer this question I think it's the hardest question and every time people ask me like what is your hardest fight hardest opponent and I just cannot answer because it's so different each fight it's a different approach different training camp everyone is difficult difficult with their own style something like that that's why hard to say hard what is difficult about Amanda style your sizes size it's not her style it's not her style it's not her style it's just she's big and heavy yeah and power everyone has power everyone has power one if you're speaking about 135 weight class every everyone has like a lot of power.

[658] But Amanda, I think she's just like big than anyone, bigger.

[659] You think she's bigger than the rest of the division?

[660] What she's work weight?

[661] What is her working weight?

[662] 116, 117?

[663] I don't know.

[664] Is it really that big?

[665] I don't know.

[666] Well, she does fight at 145 and she looks the same at 145 as she does at 135.

[667] And obviously at 145 she's able to knock out cyborg.

[668] Yeah, yeah.

[669] It's kind of like, you know, what about the knockouts?

[670] Everyone has like chances to knock out each other.

[671] So it's just like it's 50 -50.

[672] It's the situation.

[673] If for example you have interchange, the chances are more for each one, right?

[674] But you have to fight very smart.

[675] You know that small gloves it's like more possibility to be knocked out or you make the knockout so if it's kind of like are you or you're going to hit or they're going to hit you so it's kind of like this is what i saw in their fights so it was interchange and this interchange whose on that moment were more lucky if you had a long time out like if the ufc said here we are it's uh we are in uh october if they said uh valentina august Next year, we would like you to fight Amanda Nunes.

[676] That's going to be this big super fight.

[677] Would you try to gain weight?

[678] Would you lift weights?

[679] Would you do anything differently?

[680] Or would you just concentrate on technique and strategy and maintain the same weight you're at now?

[681] We are October and August.

[682] Do you know anything?

[683] They're going to approach me with this?

[684] I'm going to try.

[685] Well, I think when I look at the two of you, it's the most compelling fight in the UFC in women's MMA, I believe.

[686] That's the most compelling fight.

[687] Because you're both at the top of your game and there's an argument for both of you to be the greatest of all time.

[688] I'm not going to do anything special to lift up my weight.

[689] You wouldn't start working out and lift weights?

[690] No, no, no, no. Because I don't believe it's going to help.

[691] I believe it's going to be worse for the fighter.

[692] Because if in your whole life you was like certain, body type you know how to carry like certain muscles amount of muscles and then suddenly for last two three months you start to carry way more so what's going to happen you're going to be slower you're not going to have same resistance for the whole fight because you have to carry more weight on top of you so i will do the same i just want to do the last like last day weight cut for what I do for 125, I'm not going to lose, I'm not going to lose this six pound what is like what I do.

[693] That's what you do for one 30, 125.

[694] And I just will eat normally as I do and train the same ways as I do.

[695] It's interesting to see different people's approaches, right?

[696] Like when Israel Adasanya went up to challenge John Bojovich for the 205 pound title, he did the same thing that you're saying.

[697] He didn't gain any weight.

[698] He just, uh, just, just, concentrated on his technique and training, but there was moments in that fight where the size of Jan Boehovic was, it was evident in the grappling exchanges when he was able to control him on the ground.

[699] Do you think that there's any benefit?

[700] I mean, this is why I'm saying if you have a long time.

[701] I'm not saying if you just have a normal eight -week camp, I'm saying if they give you eight months, nine months, and they let you know in advance, you still don't think you'd ever try to gain any weight.

[702] I don't think it's still, going to help because someone naturally bigger every time we'll have this advantage being bigger.

[703] No matter how more weight you're going to put on top, you are still the same, just with extra weight on you.

[704] Well, that's why I'm interested in John Jones.

[705] And John Jones, when he's trying to move up to the heavyweight division, he's gained a lot of weight.

[706] And he wants to be over the 265 pound limit and then cut back down to 265.

[707] So I believe he's walking around somewhere in the 260s now.

[708] I think we will know the answer only when he will fight in this weight class.

[709] And we will know exactly how it's going to affect him.

[710] Will it be good for him or bad for him?

[711] So we don't know, as I say, every person is different.

[712] And I know how my body works.

[713] I know what is good for me, what is bad for me. Israel, he knows exactly the same about his body type.

[714] John Jones, he knows exactly about himself.

[715] So this is everyone's approach.

[716] And I think everyone should do what they think it's going to help them to win.

[717] So for you, from going down from 135 to 125 was the right move.

[718] He felt like much better at 125.

[719] It's my natural weight class.

[720] It's like what I was competing all the time.

[721] Have you ever thought of going lower?

[722] 115 and die from the hunger but there are some girls who fight at 115 that look in between fights very similar to you physically i know i know and i really don't know how they do that like yawanna like you and yowana fought yes in moitai yes and then what weight was that at 57 kilos is 125 yeah and so then which is your natural weight.

[723] And then Yowana has had notorious struggles to get down to 115.

[724] Yes, I know, yes.

[725] And she is like, that's why I have so much respect for her what, like, what she is doing.

[726] It's amazing.

[727] And like when she's like fighting 115, after all this weight cut and showing all technique what she is showing, it looks so impressive.

[728] And it's like very hard to do that.

[729] and I know it's very hard.

[730] But, you know, I feel good 125.

[731] I don't see a reason why I have to move down to 115.

[732] I don't want to try.

[733] I don't want to, because now it's my best shape.

[734] If I will try to lose my weight, it has to be a huge reason why I'm doing that.

[735] Because we have to consider what's going to be after.

[736] I will lose all that, but it's going to affect my performing in 125 as well, because everything has sequences, right?

[737] Yes.

[738] And that's why you better think twice before you take decision.

[739] But no. Yeah, I wouldn't think that was a good idea.

[740] That was just curious.

[741] I think that there is a real issue with fighters that lose a lot of weight, and I think the long -term consequences are probably ultimately not worth it.

[742] No, exactly.

[743] Exactly.

[744] It's kind of like the same, the opposite way, for example, they're going down too much.

[745] They are like having this extreme cutting weight.

[746] But them are always, it has like tendency to come back like double, triple with the friends, calling the friends.

[747] And then it's made harder to go back and cut the weight again.

[748] So it's kind of like.

[749] It's going that way once, working once, but then you have to do it like harder and harder before you decide that it's not a smart thing to do.

[750] Yeah, your body starts to think that it's experiencing famine.

[751] And also it's like it's fine, it's okay for when you have 25 years, but if you are thinking about long -term fighting, you have to think about your health as well.

[752] Do you think there's enough weight classes in the UFC?

[753] Would you like to see more weight classes?

[754] For the female fighters.

[755] Like 145, 105, something like that or something in between.

[756] With boxing.

[757] You know, how boxing has so many champions and they have so many different weight classes.

[758] You know, like boxing, they have, you know, oftentimes like every four or five pounds would be a new weight class.

[759] I think, like, to do that much, I don't feel it's going to worst it.

[760] like I don't feel that it's gonna is something that you see has to do because you see has so unique type and it's like it's uncomparable to anything it's my opinion it's even bigger than Olympics it's way bigger than Olympics that's why yeah maybe one of five for a smaller goal on 145 we have 145 so but not in between I don't think so yeah it's um there's a much more limited talent pool as well right it's just not so many mixed martial arts fighters like this because what is you see it's uh you see it's roosters it's the best ones yes the best ones in the world it's not just a small league what you have like different levels of competitors it's like you can see as a roster it's like low level here's a high level no here it's like since the beginning to the end super high level of everyone yeah this is like why this is what is making it so unique so special well it's really interesting because that level has increased dramatically over the last decade and a half when we first saw ronda rousey competing in the u .c some of the earliest female fights in the ufc the competition that she was facing was just not at the same level as the male competition.

[761] But now, when you see like Rose Nama Yunus versus Zhang Wei Li, that is a very, very high level fight.

[762] And it's very exciting because they're both world champion elite martial artists.

[763] So when they fight, you're seeing two of the best of the best period in the sport.

[764] It is.

[765] And this is saying about how fast.

[766] and how far mixed martial art developed.

[767] And even if we are comparing, like, you've seen fighters 15, 20 years ago, it's going to be different.

[768] Now it's like mixed martial arts, it's complete fight style.

[769] It's not a fight between stand -up fighter, boxer, or wrestler.

[770] It's two high -level MMA fighters who are like know how to dominate, like, so good.

[771] in boxing, so good kicking, like take Wondo, so good wrestlers and like grapplers.

[772] So it's speaking about how MMA develops through the years.

[773] And it's amazing because now we can see there is no difference.

[774] Female fighter, male fighter, they are just like performing the best way and it's amazing.

[775] Watch them how they compete.

[776] It really is amazing when you think back from when you first started training martial arts as a five -year -old girl.

[777] in 1993 to today, the UFC is almost unrecognizable.

[778] If you go back and watch any other sport from 1993, say like football or basketball, it looks similar.

[779] I mean, you might have better athletes today and better training today, but it looks pretty similar.

[780] Today, martial arts has expanded so far above and beyond what it was at in those days.

[781] Yes, and this is like a dream for mixed martial arts.

[782] to every time it was like dream of mine and it was like to be comfortable in everything know how to fight in every single like situation don't have any like fear that okay if someone will throw me down what should I do no I don't know this is an amazing thing of being mixed martial artists that you are so complete that you kind of like, you don't have a fear.

[783] You just, like, know how to do in any situation.

[784] Do you remember the first high -level female mixed martial arts fight you watched?

[785] Do you remember who it was?

[786] Oh.

[787] Was it Gina Carrano?

[788] Was it like Elite X -C?

[789] Was it Strike Force?

[790] What was it that you saw?

[791] You know, like, Bag Zan, it's...

[792] It's people just like, like more like young generations, they don't understand, like they don't have any idea how it was back then.

[793] To watch some fights, you have to have this VHS, you have to have not only this like tape, but also the whole equipment to watch that.

[794] And it's only like special people would have it.

[795] And being here like in America and United States, it's different.

[796] and being there.

[797] It's everything way harder over there.

[798] It's so much technology here and not yet over there.

[799] So it's kind of like was very hard to watch fights.

[800] It's only like special people would have this VHS VHS tape.

[801] Yeah.

[802] So it's kind of like I would say first like fights, female fights for me if you're speaking about you.

[803] Definitely, when I was competing Muay Thai and M .MA, I was watching different fighters from, like, their countries and, like, definitely, like, high level from the air countries.

[804] And it was my first championship that I won world champion in mixed martial arts.

[805] It was South Korea in 2003.

[806] It was my first MMMA.

[807] That was your first MMA fight?

[808] Title, what I won.

[809] It was World Championships in South Korea.

[810] Korea in Seoul against Korean fighters, the best in their response.

[811] So, yeah, but I would say since MMA started like two female MMAs start to develop like through the world like a lot, it was probably Gina Karana and Chris Cyberg.

[812] Yeah, that was a big one.

[813] This is when it started and it was like big push.

[814] for, but definitely with Rhonda, it was kind of like the second wave much powerful and it's like going beyond the limits and it was very important for the female martial arts.

[815] That was, I mean, there was two waves, right?

[816] I think you said it perfectly.

[817] There's the Gina Carano wave and the Chris Cyborg wave in the early days.

[818] And then right after that, Ronda Rousey.

[819] And I think the Ronda was an even bigger wave.

[820] exactly the way she was finishing everybody she's this beautiful woman who was so skilled and you know arm barring everybody and it was I think also it take place that it was UFC fights right because no matter how talented you are no matter how beautiful you are if you're fighting in the smaller league it's gonna stay in the smaller league so when they first started having fights in the UFC how how exciting was that for you when you saw women fighting in the UFC for the first time it it no it was the same for me it's like I don't know it's you didn't think like that could be me now no no I never had this like things it could be me that or I will compete there I just was like okay it's happening it's opportunity definitely it can be someday but it wasn't something like oh I have to be there and I was like do anything to be there I just, every time in my life, I don't like to rush things.

[821] I just like do everything for make it happen to be ready when it's happened, but in the same time to not do like some crazy movement towards that one.

[822] Because it's not right, I think.

[823] It's completely like not right because you just losing your style yourself.

[824] I just, okay, it's happening, it's a good sign, but I continue to do my life.

[825] I don't know what's it going to be like through the some years.

[826] And for example, I tell local fighters born in United States, five, seven fights, they have chance to be in the U .S .A. Fighter who was born far has to make, like, Like, whole this circle around the world, living in South America for eight years, winning 17 times world titles.

[827] And then, only then, being signed for the U .C. Well, that's you.

[828] I had a long way.

[829] I had, and I'm not complaining.

[830] I think it's a very good thing.

[831] I think it's a very good way because I am ready for where I am right now.

[832] Because you can see like fighters who are like mentally not ready for being in the position of what they are.

[833] And just they are starting to break.

[834] And they're thinking, oh, it's so much pressure.

[835] I am not ready for that.

[836] I don't want my title.

[837] I want to give up.

[838] I don't want to do it anymore.

[839] So this is not right because they're going to fight.

[840] still going to come back and fight and I think it's better fight for the title than be a challenger to defend your title but in my case I already like was so ready to do what I am doing I am ready mentally I was like I know that my first fight and it's definitely it was like huge it was big it was different to compare to other like leagues what I compete because it was just big but i was ready for it it didn't put any pressure on me extra i think you make a very good point because i look at some talented young fighters and i say this person has a lot of potential but they're in the deep water too quickly i know and then they're going to get hurt so they'll they'll fight against someone who is far better than them and they'll get set up and and hurt and i think they might have a better chance at a better career a better result result if they started out in the smaller leagues and worked their way up.

[841] I think that, like, Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series is amazing, and I love the fact that these things exist, even the ultimate fighter.

[842] I think it's amazing that these things exist.

[843] But there are some fighters that I think should hold off and wait.

[844] And some do, like Yuri Prohaska.

[845] He's a good example, right?

[846] He, they offered him the UFC years ago, I believe it was like five years ago.

[847] And he's like, I'm not ready yet.

[848] And he's very smart.

[849] And by the time he was ready, man, was he ready?

[850] Yeah.

[851] I mean, you look at his two fights in the UFC, Volcan Ozedimir knocks him out, and then Dominic Reyes knocks him out.

[852] So two fights in the UFC already in contention for the title.

[853] Amazing.

[854] Amazing.

[855] But it's because he was ready.

[856] Whereas some other fighters, maybe they get there too soon.

[857] And you're seeing them going to get beat up, where they're fighting someone that's too many levels above them.

[858] where it's not really competitive yet.

[859] Like they're not, they don't have the skills.

[860] Like, some people can just rise.

[861] Like John Jones, again, he's another example.

[862] He was in the UFC early in his career.

[863] But he was so talented.

[864] Yes.

[865] That he was able to dominate guys like Mauricio Shogun, Huah, in his first title fight when he was 22 years old, which is crazy, right?

[866] But some people, they're just not ready yet, but they could be.

[867] They could be one day.

[868] And I think that they get into the, the UFC maybe too soon.

[869] Whereas with you, you had so much experience.

[870] World Championship multi -fights.

[871] You had MMA fights.

[872] You had all this experience.

[873] You were like a fully developed martial artist by the time you got to the UFC, which I think is the perfect way to do it.

[874] I think for me it works so good, everything.

[875] It's worked so well.

[876] And I was ready.

[877] I knew exactly what I want.

[878] I knew exactly what is my goal, what I have to do to, like, to continue, make my life interesting.

[879] And this is I'm still doing.

[880] I know exactly what I have to do.

[881] I don't have any doubts how to have my life, how to live my life, to still feel like this interest for the life, interest for martial arts, this desire for keep training the same hard way as I. do so I know exactly how to maintain that and this is I think the best because for me martial arts it's not just sport it's my every time say it's my lifestyle even my philosophy even for example if you are come back for to the question about the meditation and like all these things for me gym place where I train it's like my temple I'm coming there without laughing, joking, or because when you're going to the temple, you have to be respectful for what you are doing, for everything what's around you.

[882] This is for me my gym.

[883] I'm very respectful for that place.

[884] And I know exactly if I will be respectful, it will keep me safe from injuries.

[885] Not every time, but most likely.

[886] Because I will be focused on what I am doing without any distractions.

[887] That's why for me, martial arts, It's for me as a person.

[888] It's teaching me so much.

[889] I'm so grateful for martial arts because it's like everything what I am right now.

[890] It's because of martial arts.

[891] Do you have long -term goals?

[892] I mean, you are already a world champion.

[893] You're already at the top of your heap.

[894] Do you have goals?

[895] I just want to continue to have the way of life what I have the style lifestyle what I have I don't like to put to set up this kind of goals I I think it's good and no because if something went you don't know what like what exactly goal sometimes it's like you can invent a goal and if it's not fit for you it's not happening you're just going to feel frustrated.

[896] I just try to prepare myself for the like to put in myself more knowledge what I can have.

[897] I mean fighting and general like life like just to have like more things to know how to do and where the opportunity will come and it can be like anything.

[898] It's like whatever.

[899] I will be ready to take it.

[900] But I know that.

[901] when it comes, you have to be smart to react it fast.

[902] Because sometimes people think, oh, maybe this is no time.

[903] I will wait for another one, but another one can never happen.

[904] So then you're thinking, I should do that.

[905] So it's kind of like hard, hard decisions.

[906] Do you have ideas about careers that you would like to explore when you're done fighting?

[907] When I'm done fighting.

[908] done fighting but still like it can be like not done fighting so it can be both uh i very like movies action movies so yeah acting it's one of the options that i really enjoy i don't feel myself like that it's something hard what i have to do it's just happen like everything what i do it's naturally.

[909] I feel that way.

[910] So I don't know, maybe shooting competition.

[911] Maybe after I finish compete fighting, I will compete in shooting.

[912] Why not?

[913] Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that.

[914] When did you get involved with guns?

[915] When did that become a big part of your life?

[916] I have the introduction was like gun world from my coach, from Pavel.

[917] He was served in army in Soviet army so yeah definitely has a lot of knowledge about different arms guns and yeah it was back in Russia but when we moved to Peru we started to compete in defensive shooting competition like IDPR IPSC here I think it's called Ipsic it's very I think it's excellent sport like shooting style when you are not only just in your position and shooting for the like accuracy but also you are shooting in different position moving standing laying down sitting so it's like a circuit with different like targets different circuits different goals what you how you have to shoot and it's like everything combination about your speed and about your accuracy and also about If it's stuck some, like the gun is stuck at some point, you have to be able to resolve the issue and continue your shooting.

[918] So it's very like an amazing sport.

[919] What teach you to respect what you are doing, to respect a gun, to respect everything like considering about the safety and like whatever you have, but also teach you to not have fear for, a gun but know how to like how to use it for the sport i've talked to people that have shot with you and they say that you shoot like you fight who was it someone who had trained with you i don't even remember the gentleman's name but he he watched you shoot in texas and he said when you see her fight that's how she shoots and they said you're very high level i'm trying not trying of course There is so high -level competitors in the shooting because they are spending all their lives do what they're doing.

[920] And definitely it's like all these tricks about everything, about how they shoot.

[921] And definitely, for now I spend more time in martial arts, definitely.

[922] But I enjoy so much shooting because gun culture, it's very strong culture.

[923] And it's amazing because it's like it's a history.

[924] It's a human history.

[925] If you're, like, watching a gun from what was made, like, big then.

[926] I have a rifle, most in rifle from 1935.

[927] Really?

[928] Yes, it's like it was in the Spain War, and, yeah, it has a lot of history.

[929] Bolt action?

[930] Yes.

[931] Is it good?

[932] Is it accurate?

[933] It's very precise.

[934] Really?

[935] Actually, you know, I don't know if you know, The last, no, this summer, I was participating in the first ever hunter games organized for, from the sixth hour.

[936] And so they made like two days competition.

[937] It was five teams, yeah, five teams of three shooters.

[938] So we were walking the circuit of how many miles.

[939] So it was eight hours.

[940] to pass all the like circuit it was 10 circuits like an elevation it was 10 000 elevation so it was hard competition but um what i was uh so for this competition i was my gun was uh cross uh the rifle from six hour and it's like the modern rifle with like uh the scope yeah exactly exactly with they are like you see how moderns it it's like it's like yeah so much technology but what i was preparing for this competition is my most in rifle it's a bold action yeah so precise so good 1935 iron sights uh oh yes yes it's kind of like nothing comparing to that yeah when did they first develop scopes for rifles hard to tell yeah yeah it's I would say maybe World War some something like that yeah but what I was like telling it's about the history the gun history it's like human history people who was like creating that guns are like not alive anymore but we still have the opportunity touch their like creatures and like feel the energy it's like sculptures, what we have in different city, for example, we see some in it, like, you know, you read the capture, like, the history.

[941] It was made, but this famous artist back, like, I don't know, 100 years ago, the same with the guns.

[942] It's like, it's a huge art, history.

[943] It's, it's, it's way much deeper than just a gun.

[944] I have a friend who collects old guns, and he has flint lock guns.

[945] So, like, with the flint, the ball and musket black powder yes yeah the old school muzzle loader oh my god it's wild it's like to think that that was what people went to war with you know I have I have one do you I do but I never shot it because it's very hard to find the right ammunition and you have to be sure that it's the right one so I was trying to I was asking like my friends like everyone but they advised me Valentina like keep it on the bowl.

[946] Yeah, it's an antique more than it is anything.

[947] But it's so interesting to think that they used to use flint, an actual piece of stone, to strike against the base.

[948] And that's how, yeah, it's crazy that that's how guns would fire.

[949] And they would pull the trigger and then there was a delay.

[950] Boom!

[951] And then it would shoot.

[952] Yeah.

[953] I think it's the same with martial arts when it started.

[954] Like when it's like, what's martial arts is, it was back.

[955] in what is now like more than arm exactly this is it this is it wow that's that's such a cool gun and what years that gun from um if i'm not mistaken it's uh sometime 1800s wow yeah keep that on the wall yes i know it's it is fascinating how much the technology has improved and changed um i i was hunting recently and uh most the time I bow hunt, but we did some hunting for pigs and we used rifles.

[956] And this rifle had a illuminated reticle.

[957] Like you hit a button and it would show all the different ranges where the rifle, like where you would have to aim at 100, at 200, at 300, and it was all marked off.

[958] I was like, this is incredible.

[959] Like the technology.

[960] Technology, exactly.

[961] For example, this cross rifle from SIG, it has like a break system of when it's the scope connected via Bluetooth with the binacle and you can set your range like seeing the target, you set it, it's connected and the rifle know where to shoot.

[962] Yes.

[963] Yeah, SIG has an amazing system, right, where their range finder connects with apps, their scopes connect with apps and that all of this works together.

[964] I have a few guns from SIG.

[965] I have a few of their pistols and I have AR.

[966] I have two ARs from them.

[967] Yeah.

[968] They make great stuff.

[969] But it's just so incredible how everything is like when you, when you start studying it and realizing that the ballistics are so accurate and precise that now they have these competitions where people are shooting out to 1 ,100, 1 ,200, 200 yards and hitting small steel targets at 1 ,200 yards.

[970] I mean, it's crazy.

[971] I know.

[972] This is a level.

[973] Yeah.

[974] Do you do any of that?

[975] Long range?

[976] shooting?

[977] For that competition, I was like spending more time training for the long.

[978] And the longest what we have, it was 1 ,000.

[979] Yes, it's the longest what we had in the competition.

[980] Yeah.

[981] But I would say that I really looking forward to the next year where they're going to do the second games.

[982] Because it's a combination of shooting and to be in a good physical condition and it's like the best and you are in the nature it's like targets the same like in the shape of animal with like steel lungs the shape of the lungs and you have to hit the steel target and you first you arrive to your stage you have to see where's the targets and you don't know how many are them before you get into the like any of stages so it can be two or three like different targets it you have to find it like in the real situation the hundreds of your like kind of like have to spend some time once you find it you have to shoot like you have three shots and each shot give you some points and then you shoot you move to the next target to the next target and it's kind of was like amazing experience one because of competition itself and the second because it's so much amazing people was combining together and like so good spirit we slept under the sky in a tense so it's like amazing Royce Gracie was there yeah hoist is big on shooting he's very good too he's really dedicated to shooting we spoke with him and it's like he's so amazing person so nice just got done training with my friend John Dudley in archery so now he's learning archery as well.

[983] Like he just went through a whole like a comprehensive multiple day course one -on -one with my friend John.

[984] Amazing.

[985] Yeah.

[986] I think it's like in everything like definitely when you have these people around you, it's so huge motivation.

[987] Well, the gun culture and gun the gun community gets oftentimes disparaged.

[988] Unfortunately, because it's not, it's not accurate.

[989] Gun people and gun culture, they're some of the nicest people I've ever met in my life.

[990] It's true.

[991] They're very nice.

[992] They're very respectful and they're friendly and they're welcoming to people that want to participate.

[993] I mean, I've never like when I go to Taryn Tactical when I'm in Los Angeles, there's always someone there that's like some world champion shooter that will give you advice and give you tips and help.

[994] And you can, there's so much encouragement.

[995] Yes.

[996] It's amazing.

[997] This is what I say is that the gun by itself, it's teach you about like respect, be kind, be noble, be like help to each other.

[998] It's like, it's amazing.

[999] It's like it's just different.

[1000] And I would say that those people are like truly care about nature and truly care about animals.

[1001] Because it sounds like they shoot animals, they had animals, but they care.

[1002] It's every time like funds what they are creating, and every time it's like foundation and something like that.

[1003] And yeah, I was like I have friends, hunters, and they are just like one of the best persons ever.

[1004] Yeah, they're some of the nicest people.

[1005] And what you're saying is true, they contribute more to conservation than any other group.

[1006] True.

[1007] In this country, there's not a single group that even comes close to the contributions to wildlife and conservation that hunters give.

[1008] Yes, this is fact.

[1009] All the money when hunters, because the Pittman Robertson Act, when hunters buy gear and ammunition and guns, I think it's 10%.

[1010] Find out what that is.

[1011] I think it's the Pittman -Robertson Act.

[1012] I believe it's 10%.

[1013] So I think what it is is 10 % of all the money that comes from the sale of hunting gear goes towards conservation.

[1014] And I believe it's not just hunting gear.

[1015] I believe it's also the sale of recreational firearms.

[1016] That money goes towards wildlife protection, protection of habitat.

[1017] It goes to hire wildlife biologists who will monitor the population, the species to make sure they're healthy.

[1018] So it's kind of counterintuitive to people that don't understand the relationship and don't understand anybody in that.

[1019] What is it say here?

[1020] 11%.

[1021] Okay.

[1022] So 11 % excise tax on firearms and ammunition.

[1023] Instead of going to the U .S. Treasury, it is done as the past.

[1024] The money generated by the tax is instead given to the Secretary of the Interior to distribute to the states.

[1025] The Secretary determines how much to give to each state.

[1026] based on the formula that takes into account both the area of the state and the number of licensed hunters.

[1027] So it's pretty interesting.

[1028] Yeah.

[1029] And through this Pittman -Robertson Act, they've generated billions and billions of dollars that have all gone towards conservation.

[1030] Yeah, yeah.

[1031] People just have to know that, right?

[1032] Yeah.

[1033] Well, it's again, there's misconceptions.

[1034] There's misconceptions about gun culture in terms of recreational gun users.

[1035] people want to think that people that own guns are like terrible people or bad people or just assholes or bullies or whatever but it's not when you when you meet these people there there is a certain humility that comes with guns because you realize anybody could just point that gun at you and kill you like that is the ultimate balancing act right like if if you want balance in in with power it doesn't matter how big you are oh no a 25 pound child can do that can squeeze a trigger can kill you and it sounds terrible and you don't want a 25 pound child to have a pistol but if they had one they could kill you.

[1036] This is about like I think about this education right I would I would love to see more programs starting like in the school educate like everyone to how to respect the arms the safety and instead of like prohibit like everything just teach people, explain people.

[1037] Then they have choice, or they want to do that or they don't.

[1038] But how they will know the truth if they don't know and everyone like try to hide.

[1039] Well, I feel that way about martial arts as well.

[1040] I think that if, you know, there's all these discussions about how to decrease bullying in school.

[1041] And I think the best option is to teach children how to fight teach children martial arts because they won't first of all they won't want to bully anybody it's not skilled martial arts for the most part there's some exceptions but it's not for the most part it's not the skilled trained martial arts that are the bullies it's people that are insecure and the people that really don't know how to fight that's why the best advice about bullies is always to stand up to them but if you just taught them martial arts they wouldn't want to be bullies it's again it seems counterintuitive but I think that it really is the correct response, the correct strategies probably to distribute martial arts throughout schools.

[1042] I think we'd have healthier kids.

[1043] I think so, too, because kids, they have so much energy.

[1044] They have to spend this energy.

[1045] And what is the better place to spend it as a gym, right?

[1046] To spend in doing something like useful for your life, for like whatever, not only self -defense, but in general sports, it's good and it's kind of like definitely child has to move has to do a lot of things has to practice here there because they have so much energy they have to spend it and yeah it's kind of like the only one thing teach them explain them and like make them experience instead of like I don't know if every time there is some fight in the school right and like instead of like do something like to prohibit put them in the class put gloves on them they would fight each other like a training class and something like that and then they will feel good and friends better friends than fighting on the street or something like that because I noticed that for example in my trainings when I when we do hard sparring with some other like training partners and it's make us like better connected to each other better friends because we experience the same yes we hit each other yes we hit with the full power but we have so much respect to each other we are like it's just different level different what do you think about this debate about sparring because there's there are some people including very high level fighters that don't spar anymore.

[1047] They get to a certain point in their career, like Max Holloway, for an example.

[1048] And you could say, you know, there's a lot of debate about this.

[1049] But where there's no debate is how good Max Holloway looks.

[1050] So it's, to me, it's so perplexing because I think there's, it's undeniable that there's a certain amount of timing and fluidity that's generated from sparring.

[1051] But there's also, it's also undeniable that sometimes people spar too hard.

[1052] and that you lose some of your resiliency and you're taking away some of the future of your career from these hard sparring sessions.

[1053] So what are your thoughts on hard sparring?

[1054] Do you think Max say in truth that he's not sparring?

[1055] You never know, right?

[1056] He never know.

[1057] Yeah, you never know.

[1058] I don't think he's lying.

[1059] But he might be.

[1060] He's tricky.

[1061] Tricky, Max.

[1062] I know, I think he's telling the truth.

[1063] I really do.

[1064] But you know what I feel about sparring?

[1065] Sparring, it's necessary.

[1066] If you want to prepare yourself for the fight, you have to feel your opponent.

[1067] Timing and, like, one thing when you hit pads, different when you hit someone and someone hit you back.

[1068] But sometimes people, they have a wrong approach to sparrings.

[1069] Sometimes they want, like mostly young people, not having much experience.

[1070] They want to show that they're brave.

[1071] that they are not afraid to get to receive this hit or something like that they said why you have to put helmet what i'm professional i'm a super fighter i don't put a helmet and definitely when you absorb strong strike like a jab or whatever it's you're gonna feel it you're gonna feel and if it's before the fight training camp you have to have sparrings a lot of sparrings and less protection you have more damage you have so it's my concept you have to protect yourself first helmets shin pads elbow pads knee pads everything you have to have everything so it's kind of your people that they if they have damage like everyday damage damage and no protection this is what affected them in the fight because they're coming to the fight already like with a lot of right yeah and but if you are protected you still can like big gloves for example you have definitely you won't spar with a small gloves with full power you don't want to do that but if you have like big gloves helmet and everything it's kind of you have certain type of protection it's definitely not protecting you a lot but it helps you to be healthier and stronger with less damage for the fight itself.

[1072] So when you spar, are you sparring with, like, boxing gloves on?

[1073] Depends.

[1074] Depends.

[1075] Usually, like, if it's, most likely if it's five -round fight and we need this spar, it's going to be big gloves.

[1076] Definitely, it will affect grappling, definitely, but you have to choose.

[1077] Yeah.

[1078] And when you spar, are you sparring full blast, 100 % power?

[1079] Oh, yes.

[1080] Oh, yes.

[1081] Because to get ready for something and know how it's going to look, you have to do it in full.

[1082] It's like, for example, rehearsal for the movie.

[1083] You can do it like 50%, but you have to have it 100 % like a few times just to know what you're going to do.

[1084] And this is the same.

[1085] Even, for example, it's not happening here because.

[1086] because we got our uniform right before the fight.

[1087] But before, when I fight it in Muay Thai, in different competition, it was necessary to have one or two trainings in the same uniform, the same gear, what I would use for my fight in the competition.

[1088] So you would have training sessions with no shin pads, smaller gloves.

[1089] No, I want to say more about shorts or like top or some stuff.

[1090] like that you have to make sure that it's going to be comfortable because it's like small detail but it can bring a whole difference i want i will not do never full power sparring no shin guard small gloves never be for the fight only for the fight yeah that makes sense um the ties when they spar they spend a lot of times playing they play where they touch each other they're tapping because they fight so often that they're prepared for fighting because they're fighting on a regular basis sometimes once a week or once every two weeks.

[1091] But when they spar, they spar very lightly.

[1092] What are your thoughts on that sort of play sparring?

[1093] Like if you watch San Chai, for example, he's one of the best ever.

[1094] And when he spars, he's very light and it's a lot of movement and playful.

[1095] You know, it's very different.

[1096] For example, we have to consider all circumstances.

[1097] For example, if you're speaking about ties, what they're doing the year, for example, fighting each week.

[1098] They have competition.

[1099] They even can do shadow boxing between their competition.

[1100] It wouldn't affect their performances.

[1101] Right.

[1102] Because competition by itself is a lot.

[1103] And if you compete frequently, definitely you don't have to spend too much time in the training to prepare your body for the fight.

[1104] you can spend less time because fight it's already going to put you on next level and definitely like I think sunshine he has days when he have to spar like in full he has days he has days when he can do it light but definitely he spar in full as well so you think that the play the play sparring is basically just a result of the fact that they fight so often?

[1105] Most likely, yeah, because...

[1106] To prepare, like, so you don't have to hurt yourself in training.

[1107] Yes, it doesn't make any sense to hurt yourself in the fight, then do it again in the training, then again in the fight.

[1108] No, it's like, what's the ultimate goal to be healthier for your fight?

[1109] That's why you have to find the way, how it's going to work the best way.

[1110] The ties also do a lot of running.

[1111] I know Do you run when you're in Thailand when you're training there?

[1112] No. You don't?

[1113] No. No. Really?

[1114] No. I never run.

[1115] I never.

[1116] I just don't like run because, you know, for example, we have a glass and this is our energy for example.

[1117] We can fool it with full of energy or like our training session it's this time.

[1118] We can fool it with half of running and half of doing like things what's going to help for the fight or we can fool it like with full time what's going to help us for the fight run is good but when it's not enough like your technique or something that would help you in the fight it's like not make sense but if you will do like strong training and running like before the training you come to the training already tired and you don't have this energy to do your main thing, to do what you have to do in the training, to like perform your best in the training for your fight, because you spend your own energy already running.

[1119] So it's like wasting your energy.

[1120] This is my thought.

[1121] The argument against that is that what you're doing in the strength and conditioning is building your reservoir of energy.

[1122] So you're making it much bigger because instead of concentrating on the technique, you're only concentrating on the physical performance of your cardiovascular system.

[1123] You're only concentrating on your V -O -2 max.

[1124] You're only concentrating on explosive energy and power.

[1125] And then in building that, you strengthen the machine that you used to fight with.

[1126] Yes, but if you do the same with your training partner, it will work double because machine it doesn't respond you.

[1127] It's like you used to do the certain exercise, the weight, what you are doing with the machine.

[1128] But when you are in the fight, the machine starts and work differently because it's attacking you as well.

[1129] And you have to now work differently.

[1130] This is what I want to tell.

[1131] You are not focusing on the technique when you are training with the training part of it.

[1132] You are focusing on both.

[1133] Your resistance and technique.

[1134] So it's different.

[1135] It's harder.

[1136] Yes, I know it's harder.

[1137] It's very hard because you have to be perfect in your technique and also have enough resistance, endurance for keep going.

[1138] This is what I want to say.

[1139] But I don't want to force anyone.

[1140] It's just the way what is work for me. Well, obviously it's working very well for you.

[1141] So it's interesting.

[1142] Well, there's other people that had similar strategies.

[1143] Like George St. Pierre told me he didn't really, I mean, I think he varied, he changed things up.

[1144] that's some important time in his career.

[1145] And he did have different approaches as time went on.

[1146] But at one point in time, he said, I don't do any strength and conditioning.

[1147] He goes, I concentrate on efficiency.

[1148] And I concentrate on my technique.

[1149] And I concentrate on fight training.

[1150] And he had the same philosophy that time spent doing other things would detract from his ability to improve his efficiency and improve his overall technique.

[1151] And more I want to add, like all injuries, are coming mostly from training when you're in the training and when you are like already so tired to defend something and you're just like okay whatever i will fall down and you fall down bad right and this is what is energy come from so if you are doing like you spend half of energy of running then already you don't have this defense level like protection protection level against the injuries so it's kind of like another point of you when you train in thailand they give you a hard time about not running no no you know it's never was something like i i i was not any time training in thailand on the regular basis and since the beginning it was i have my coach and he's the one who is like saying what i have to do and what i don't have to do pavel he was every time like looking for me for his students for Antonina to do the right things because like he spent so much energy in us he put so much like everything what like creating the fighters right and then to have someone messed up and destroy it no he has to like take he has to see and control to have control of how they are training process is going.

[1152] And for example, now our trainings in Tiger Muay Thai, it's what we are doing.

[1153] We have the same, like, group.

[1154] We have people from all around the world, some Thai fighters, some like fighters who are like in that time in Tiger Muay Thai.

[1155] And we do like separate training.

[1156] We have our schedule and certain time what we are training.

[1157] And we do our, uh, our style.

[1158] And we do our style.

[1159] training.

[1160] Now when it comes to things like endurance, do you monitor your heart rate?

[1161] Do you check your heart rate in the morning?

[1162] You're smiling at me. I don't do that.

[1163] I don't do that.

[1164] I don't check my heart rate.

[1165] I don't use gadgets.

[1166] I don't even like, I don't do that.

[1167] And I know there is like a lot of apps they are very helpful.

[1168] They just help to know how you feel.

[1169] Right.

[1170] But my indicator, it's myself.

[1171] My indicator, if I feel good, this is the most important indicator.

[1172] If I feel that, for example, I don't have endurance during the training.

[1173] It means that my diet is not good.

[1174] It means something like I have to change in my diet, most likely.

[1175] So my indicator is myself.

[1176] So I don't believe in gadgets.

[1177] They're going to help me in the fight.

[1178] I believe in myself.

[1179] Only, like, there is one person who are going to help me. So, no heart rate monitors.

[1180] No. No V -O -2 max tests, none of that.

[1181] Do you monitor your progress when it comes to training camp entirely based on how you feel then?

[1182] Entirely.

[1183] You don't write anything down?

[1184] Do you keep a journal of your training sessions or anything?

[1185] I was doing it, like, years ago.

[1186] Like, most likely, not.

[1187] training session but like diet yeah for example my weight in the morning like that and what this is what I was eating like that after training I felt this that's that I I did it like part of my time but right now no right now it's like I know exactly what I in how I have to feel and I every time like sharing my feeling with my team and we are like seeing like okay this is right this is not right this is like okay to feel that during this period of training camp and this is what we have to do to like maintain it or something like that yes now it's all about sense right how would say your intuition intuition yes um do you have a nutritionist that you work with i know you're at the ufcpi so do you work with their nutritionist or how do you do you decide like what you eat how i decide what i eat um uh the team of uc performance institutes they are so incredible and for example for uh like uh fight week charles uh nickel and uh like uh clean they are like working so good to build your like meals and uh working like excellent i cannot complain because it's it's amazing what fighter can't can have someone to be like to worry about their food and you don't have to think about anything just like it's already just eat but uh the rest of the time i just monitoring my food myself i um know the diet what is worked for me i know exactly what is what things i have to eat how to maintain my weight or i don't have to eat but i'm not that like um strict on the diet when I out of the fight out of the competition I can eat anything and it's the same the balance and my intuition when my body start to feel heavy and I feel okay this is too much water in me I just put sauna suit and go to run sauna suit now do you like what is your diet like if you say you know what works for you like what is a general for the fight yeah well just like generally training like general like what is your diet like what do you eat most um a lot of cakes chocolate cakes there's a lot of creams on top are you kidding no really i just like sweets yes i do i do really yes so if you if you someone asked me do you think that valentine and shivchenko eats sugar i'd be like no no way oh yes a lot if you would ask people who know me and they said like oh my god she's like all about this sugar you're all about sugar but is it because you train so hard your body needs that glucose and you can get away with it is this like an after training thing or is it just you just love cake i just love them yeah it just i like the taste but what about um nutrition like do you have like staples in your diet in terms of like meat and vegetables like what what what is your diet normally like um The only thing that I keep like a rule, and I can't break it sometime if it's some party or some like situation, it's a, I'm not eating after 5 p .m. So this is the most important.

[1188] If I know that after 5 p .m. I just stop.

[1189] I can drink some tea, like water, but no sugar.

[1190] And it's going to be balanced.

[1191] So this is the most important rule.

[1192] And definitely when I feel it's, okay, it's too much sugar.

[1193] I go and eat solid.

[1194] Too much cake.

[1195] So 5 p .m. and then when would generally your morning workout be?

[1196] Sometime, like, sometimes it's early, 7, sometimes it's 8, but we train in the morning, and I like to train in the morning.

[1197] I don't like to train like past 10, so it's going to be sometime between 7 and lately.

[1198] So even if it's seven, you're still generally getting about 14 hours of intermittent fasting.

[1199] But before the training, I don't eat.

[1200] No training?

[1201] Wow.

[1202] So you eat at 5 p .m. as you're done.

[1203] And then after training.

[1204] And then you wait and then train for hours.

[1205] Yeah.

[1206] Wow, that's interesting.

[1207] No fruit, no nothing.

[1208] I can take a shake, for example, meal replacement, something like that.

[1209] And lately I very like this.

[1210] like greens, protein, and collagen.

[1211] I make that and I can have that like just a small amount before the training, but that's it.

[1212] Yeah, I don't like to feel full before the training.

[1213] It's affect my endurance.

[1214] But that's crazy that you go that long and then train really hard for multiple hours.

[1215] Yes, but it depends what, how much you ate before five, five.

[1216] before if oh so how much not that big not that big now when when you're training are you taking any sort of glucose supplement while you're training like are you drinking gatorade or while training no no just water no I don't drink during the training you don't drink any water no really yes so for hours you're training for hours no water yeah no water wow yeah it's I don't know it's in soviet system it was in like all boxing all wrestlers they had the same like no drinking because it's kind of like you know I feel when you drink your liver and your heart start to work more and it's like in after five minutes after you drink you feel like more tired than it was before so I just like I don't drink even just a little bit of water does a sip nothing no no because I don't feel that I I used to, all my life, I didn't drink, and that I just used to it.

[1217] So all my life, it was like during the training, no drinks, no water.

[1218] And this is, I feel good, I feel comfortable, so I don't need that.

[1219] Wow, that's incredible.

[1220] What about alcohol?

[1221] I don't drink.

[1222] Nothing.

[1223] I don't drink, but I'm not against it.

[1224] I'm not like a person who's, like, judging people for drinking or something like that.

[1225] No. I think it's the same culture of drinks.

[1226] And more my family, my grandfather, he was doing, he was like homemade wine.

[1227] And now my mom, she's continued his tradition.

[1228] And she's every time sending a picture of making her own wine.

[1229] Oh, wow.

[1230] Yeah.

[1231] But you don't touch it.

[1232] No, I don't.

[1233] No. I don't feel.

[1234] Do you think when you're done competing maybe?

[1235] It's different.

[1236] Yes, maybe.

[1237] maybe someday i'm i'm i'm i'm doing my theory now right um what about vitamins and supplements and things along those lines training camp yeah training camp only during training camp only training camp so for what is how long is your training camp generally um two months probably yeah so for those eight weeks you'll take in vitamins and supplements like what kind of vitamins do you take um so i have uc performance Institute, Nutrition Specialist, Nutrition Team.

[1238] Yes, it's amazing because they are taking care of everything.

[1239] That's very convenient.

[1240] And so that's generally the reason why you move to Las Vegas to have access to the Performance Institute?

[1241] Actually, it was not the main reason.

[1242] I just love Nevada.

[1243] I love Las Vegas.

[1244] I like the climate.

[1245] Yes, definitely it's kind of like hot in the summertime.

[1246] but it's only a few months it's only a few months if we are speaking about what the weather it's not right now there it's just perfect it's so I like the quality of air and everything I I never thought that I will be so in love with the desert nature I grew up in Kyrgyzstan we have four seasons we have gorgeous summer super cold winter like spring it's something like so beautiful like so many greens so many uh trees so many everything colors and i never thought that i'm gonna miss so much dessert and i knew it uh we had last summer our u s trip and we usually like um when covid things all of this starts and we start to explore united states like so deep and like just traveling we just take our car our drug and for two, two and a half months, we're just driving around.

[1247] And it's our trip, it's different.

[1248] We are not going, like, from destination to destination.

[1249] For example, our navigator saying, like, okay, you have two hours drive.

[1250] But in reality, it will take, like, six, seven hours because we are just driving small roads, stopping in every little town.

[1251] And, like, if there is, like, by the coast, marinas and something like that, And last summer, we traveled, we started from Las Vegas, then we went Lake Tahoe, then San Francisco, and drew all highway one, Pacific coast, up, like, to the, like, all the way up.

[1252] And then, like, Seattle, Washington and all the area by the border with Canada.

[1253] So it was an amazing trip, two and a half months.

[1254] And then when we were on our way back, and we started to drive closer to Nevada, closer to that nature, desert nature, I was like, oh, my God, it feels like coming back home.

[1255] You're accustomed to it now.

[1256] Yes.

[1257] It's amazing how much outside activity, outdoor activities you can also do in the Las Vegas area.

[1258] Like, I've had Alex Honnold on the podcast before.

[1259] Do you know who he is?

[1260] the free solo climber yeah and he was telling me like there's a lot of climbers that move to Las Vegas just because they have access to so many climbing routes oh my god yeah yeah and yeah it's so many activities like checking trails shooting yeah a lot of shooting right yeah yeah that's that's right skydiving do you skydiving I did indoor indoor skydiving it's different it's different yeah but it's better to start with something right yes yeah and also you don't fall as far i know yeah you're just kind of floating around and you have your protections much much much much better well listen valentina it's been a pleasure to talk to you i really appreciate you coming in here i've admired your work inside the octagon and i really appreciate your your style and your technique and your ability it's it's beautiful to watch so i'm a big fan so for me this was a real treat thank you so much joe it's my pleasure yeah i can't wait to see you in there again So hopefully next time I will talk to you.

[1261] They will say, and still.

[1262] I will work on it hard.

[1263] I'm sure you will.

[1264] I have no doubts.

[1265] So thank you very much.

[1266] Thank you.

[1267] Bye, everybody.