Valentina Shevchenko Explains ‘Tiger’ and ‘Dragon’ Designs in Best UFC Custom Gear Ahead PPV Title Fight

Valentina Shevchenko finally scores custom shorts and fight gear ahead of UFC 315 PPV women's title fight vs. Manon Fiorot.

Valentina Shevchenko Explains ‘Tiger’ and ‘Dragon’ Designs in Best UFC Custom Gear Ahead PPV Title Fight

Valentina Shevchenko dons custom UFC shorts for UFC 315 (Source: X)

Valentina Shevchenko will put her flyweight championship to the test this weekend at UFC 315 against top contender Manon Fiorot. The fight will mark Shevchenko’s second reign holding the divisional crown. Now, she will be defending it with style. It’s mostly gold and green and sports a bold dragon design with a nickname-inspired gold ‘bullet’ in the center of the chest and shorts.

After the UFC 300 “Adrenaline Unrivaled” gear line since last April’s milestone PPV card, Official Venum kits have poured in more custom threads. Many fighters have repped their cultures, fight styles, nations, and so much more while taking the walk to the octagon. Now, Valentina Shevchenko will do the same at UFC 315, donning the new custom threads. Shevchenko later weighed in on the thoughts that went behind such a unique design.

Dragon and tiger. It’s like…It’s like opposing but complementary forces representing Yin Yang dynamic, harmonious balance of the universe. That’s why it’s kind of like. And the bullet, …it’s a very important part. And definitely the color camo. It’s my color, so it’s the style on the background. It’s Sak Yant in Thai. In Thailand, it’s very traditional to have Sak Yant in here…You see, like, all the details on the ground on the background, and it’s. It’s representing the. My style, representing who I am, and representing my mixed martial arts background.

Valentina Shevchenko during Tuesday’s UFC 315 PPV media poster signing

The combat sports community had seen such acute representation before as well in the custom shorts. Some custom shorts were near misses. But, GOAT Jon Jones was elated with Philippians 4:13, the Bible verse ink threads for his PPV title return last November. As usual, the UFC store pipelined it as a UFC 309 PPV event perpetuity royalty merchandise for $114.99; Shevchenko’s is to go the same after her defense.

This will be the first fight for Shevchenko since she regained the 125-pound crown from Alexa Grasso to complete a trilogy of PPV title fights. She and Grasso also donned custom shorts and wear for the second annual Noche PPV card, in September. Now, she gets to it again with fashion and top-notch function. However, the UFC 315 challenger Manon Fiorot has her own thoughts on it.

Manon Fiorot wants to play spoiler at UFC 315

Shevchenko, 37, was the UFC women’s flyweight champion with seven straight PPV title defenses between 2019 and 2023. Grasso ended that streak and stunningly submitted her at UFC 285. Fast forward six months, and Valentina Shevchenko fought her to a highly publicized and controversial split draw that did not sit well with fans and pundits.

Valentina Shevchenko's UFC title and Zhang Weili superfight on Manon Fiorot's agenda
Valentina Shevchenko’s UFC title and Zhang Weili superfight on Manon Fiorot’s agenda (Source: X)

The second Noche PPV title trilogy didn’t produce the excitement or a grudge match that the fans kept hoping for. But ‘Bullet’ did bag the gold again with a UD win. Now, Shevchenko is set to take on the thirty-five-year-old Fiorot, who has not lost since her pro debut in June 2018.

Manon Fiorot is riding a 12-fight winning streak, including a stout 7-0 exclusive stat in the UFC. French fighter Fiorot even douses big wins over names like Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield. Ahead of the fight night, the French flyweight declared that the future of the division remains on her hands.

That clearly angered me, …Several times when I’ve wanted [her]…Weili’s name kept coming up, but it’s a good opportunity since it’ll be me who fights her after this fight.

Manon Fiorot during Wednesday’s UFC 315 Media Day fighter interviews

Fiorot has been in the hunt and campaigned for a PPV title shot for some time, but Shevchenko’s trilogy series with Alexa Grasso has put her pursuit on hold. She then had to listen to the fans’ rallying cry for a superfight between Shevchenko and strawweight champion Zhang Weili.

Luckily, the UFC 315 kept posted and got her wish. Now, she wants the undisputed belt as well as to pawn off that Weili-shaped PPV title superfight. Per FanDuel Sportsbooks’ opening lines, the duo propped even at -113. However, Fiorot has gone on to become a slight betting favorite. Only time will tell if the digits hold and if she can rattle the veteran opposition.

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