Revisiting the unusual night time when Carmouche beat Shevchenko

An necessary piece of combined martial arts historical past passed off on Sept. 30, 2010 — in Concho, Oklahoma, of all locations.

On that date, Valentina Shevchenko fought Liz Carmouche. Shevchenko is now UFC flyweight champion and arguably the most effective feminine fighter on the planet, and Carmouche is a ranked UFC veteran who confronted Ronda Rousey within the first girls’s battle within the promotion’s historical past. However 9 years in the past, each have been simply starting their combined martial arts careers.

The results of their 2010 battle is a crucial one, in that it represents one in all solely three losses Shevchenko has suffered in MMA. The opposite two defeats got here in opposition to Amanda Nunes, now a two-division world champion. After which there was the Carmouche battle, which Shevchenko misplaced by way of second-round TKO.

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Carmouche and Shevchenko will meet once more on Aug. 10 in Montevideo, Uruguay — this time, for Shevchenko’s championship belt.

There isn’t any recognized video of their first battle to revisit. So what occurred on that night time in Oklahoma? ESPN spoke to each girls to recreate the scene.

Shevchenko: I used to be residing in Peru and I acquired the supply to battle in America. I did not even know the title of my opponent. At the moment, it did not matter who the opponent was. I had by no means been to the U.S., however I had my visa and I used to be receiving gives to battle all around the world. At that second, it was not about getting a battle within the U.S. for me. It was nearly looking for an MMA battle.

I hadn’t fought in MMA since 2006. I competed solely in Muay Thai between 2006 and 2010. However we have been seeing a variety of motion in feminine MMA and knew we would have liked to get again into it.

I had some associates residing in Houston, and we flew there to stick with them. They have been those who discovered this battle for me. My plan was to remain for one month and battle twice in that point. Liz was the primary battle.

Carmouche: I used to be really presupposed to battle her sister, Antonina. At the moment, I believe her sister had a number of kickboxing matches, however nothing too in depth. I used to be model new. I used to be as inexperienced as inexperienced could possibly be.

We have been contacted by a company known as C3 in Oklahoma. We confirmed up and noticed the poster and have been like, “Wait a second. One thing does not look proper. I assumed Antonina had brown hair and she or he’s orthodox. This lady has blonde hair and is standing southpaw.”

And the promotion stated, “No, no. You are combating her sister, Valentina.”

And I used to be like, “Oh, is not that the one who has been doing this for, like, 10 years and is a Muay Thai champion?”

Liz Carmouche thought she was getting Antonina Shevchenko, proper, on that night time way back, however as a substitute tangled together with her extra skilled sister, Valentina Shevchenko. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Pictures

Shevchenko: Antonina was not with me that journey. I actually do not know what the promoter stated to Liz; all I do know was the battle was provided on to me. Antonina, at that second, she was not even occupied with coming again to MMA. She did not begin occupied with coming again to MMA till 2017.

I am not stunned the promotion informed Liz one thing else, however what I do know is, I accepted the battle.

Carmouche: I do not suppose Valentina knew. I believe it was the promoter. I heard in a while, from different folks, that promotion did some shady issues. My coach, Manolo Hernandez, informed them, “We flew all the best way over right here, and also you’re making an attempt to place one over on us. That is actually tousled. Liz is model new.”

In fact, I am behind him saying, “I am going to take the battle. I am going to take the battle. Please let me battle.”

I believe the deal they provided us was they added per diem for that week. At that time, it was onerous for me to even afford my medicals. After they provided one thing like, “OK, we’ll pay in your meals,” we have been like, “Oh, OK, meals? We’ll take it.” [Laughs.] This was once I was making about $300 per battle.

“The sector itself was only a cage exterior. It was poorly lit, and it was snowing.”

Liz Carmouche

Shevchenko: We drove by automobile from Houston to Oklahoma. It was me, [coach] Pavel Fedotov and the 2 associates we have been staying with. If I am not mistaken, we did not get there till the weigh-ins have been already over. I weighed in late that night time, and the battle was the following day.

Carmouche: It was simply myself and Manolo. After we informed folks [in San Diego] we have been going out to Oklahoma and the small print of it — it is a two-hour drive from the airport, it is in the midst of nowhere — folks have been like, “Yeah, I am not going with you to that. Goodbye.”

It was chilly. There was no good meals there. They did have somebody decide us all up from the airport, as a result of a lot of the fighters flew in on the similar time. The sector itself was only a cage exterior. It was poorly lit, and it was snowing.

Shevchenko: I do keep in mind it was exterior. I went from the altering room to the place the [cage] was, and it was down the road, I believe. Perhaps there was even a small golf cart that drove us to the cage?

2 Associated

Carmouche: The locker room was simply a type of aluminum buildings, this massive, white, rectangular can that they had exterior. I shoulder checked my coach into the wall as we have been warming up, and a number of the roofing caved down on us. It was not nicely put collectively.

There was no protection of [the fight]. This was earlier than anyone had expertise on their telephones and will report it. This was the flip telephone days.

Shevchenko: The battle was going good. Every part was going to plan. I used to be profitable the placing after which I took her down. At that time, I attempted to make a leg lock and she or he threw a kick from the bottom. We continued to battle and I noticed, “There’s a variety of blood in all places.” I used to be stunned. I assumed, “Whose blood is that?” When the spherical was stopped, I noticed that it was my blood.

Carmouche: I used to be making an attempt to carry my very own, however at that time, I do not suppose I had even sparred any person who was a southpaw, not to mention fought one. I did not fairly know what to do. Fortunately, we went to the bottom, and I caught her with an upkick. It sliced her eye broad open. It was simply nonstop bleeding from her eye. And she or he wasn’t in a position to reply the bell for the following spherical.

Shevchenko: The physician got here in and determined to cease the battle. I used to be like, “No, I wish to proceed.” However they made the choice.

Liz Carmouche’s arms have been lined in blood — her opponent’s blood — after the 2010 bout. Courtesy Liz Carmouche

Carmouche: It was amusing, as a result of she had what Manolo known as “the Russian mafia” together with her. And he began chanting, “America! America!” as we walked via the on line casino. I used to be lined in blood. My solely concern was getting all of it washed off me, as a result of I believe the one factor they examined for was HIV. I used to be freaking out in regards to the prospects there could possibly be some blood-borne sickness on my pores and skin.

Shevchenko: After the battle, they wished me to go to the hospital, however I used to be insistent they [stitch my eye] proper there instantly. I did not have the time to go to a different place for it. I wished every thing to be executed quick, so I may heal quick and return to coaching. … You must perceive, again then you definately have been receiving small cash for the battle. You needed to have a variety of fights to have cash in your life. I used to be pondering I wished to battle the following week. I wished to complete the battle, get stitched up and settle for one other battle instantly.

Carmouche: We went again to the lodge, we tried to search out Whataburger — that was the celebratory meal — and we left very first thing within the morning.

It is loopy, as a result of any person requested me the opposite day what it is like now after we run into one another. And I stated, “Truly, now that you just point out it, I’ve by no means bumped into her once more. Not even in passing.”

Shevchenko: That battle gave me a variety of expertise. You recognize, Muay Thai is a noble battle and I had been training it for years. There’s a sure understanding of how a battle will go. … However MMA, it is a bit bit completely different. It is not a full avenue battle, however there are nonetheless some particulars which are completely different. That kick, for instance, it was surprising as a result of I did not suppose a kick may land from that place.

It made me a greater fighter, and the actual fact we’ll have a brand new battle with Liz, who I believe is an excellent fighter, it is good. It’ll be a great battle.