‘They Hate Everyone’

LAS VEGAS — Valentina Shevchenko believes mixed martial arts (MMA) fans need to change their ways.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is back and season 32 officially began filming yesterday (March 12, 2024). TUF 32 will feature a cast of Middleweights and Featherweights coached by the women’s Flyweight division’s best, the current champion, Alexa Grasso, and former champion, Shevchenko.

Unfortunately, the reception to female coaches over men in the latest installment of the long-running program has been met with a negative reception. An all-time great in her own right, Shevchenko believes the viewpoints and disdain for her fellow female athletes is an outdated mindset.

“I think they have this kind of cliche … have this thing of it’s coming from way back before, from the very, very past and they cannot get rid of that. But we are in new era,” Shevchenko said at TUF 32 media day. “We are in new modern days. It’s different now. It’s different than it was 10 years ago. It’s different than it was 20 years ago. Now it’s now and now it’s different, but they are still bringing that from years ago.

“This is not true, they have to change their mindset,” she continued. “Also, I imagine that so many people, they just don’t care [about] anything. They just want to bring hate. They hate everyone and this hate, it’s just inside of their hearts. This is wrong. This is very wrong. They have to focus on the positive things. You kind of see when a person expresses themselves through the bad words, you kind of see what’s happening inside of them. So, it’s just a matter of personal things, and I think it’s if they try to focus on something beautiful it might change their understanding of how words work.”

At the end of TUF 32, Shevchenko and Grasso will collide once again — their third consecutive title clash. The series currently leans towards the Mexican champion after the rematch went to a split draw (watch highlights) at Noche UFC this past September 2023. If Shevchenko can reclaim the title she once held in their eventual trilogy, the series will be tied at 1-1-1. Grasso scored a fourth round rear-naked choke (watch highlights) in their initial encounter at UFC 285 in March 2023.