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UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping believes he has identified the game plan of challenger Taila Santos ahead of her women's flyweight title fight against Valentina Shevchenko.
During BT Sport's UFC 275 Preview Show, Bisping noted that Santos has publicly stated that she'll be using her jiu-jitsu to take the fight to the ground against Shevchenko. The former middleweight champ believes it is a plot to try and trick 'Bullet'.
"Santos, I think she is throwing a little red herring out there. She's went out there and publicly said, 'I'm gonna use my jiu-jitsu and take Valentina down, that's how I win this fight, blah blah. I'm gonna make you think I'm gonna shoot for the double-leg but then I'm gonna come over the top with a right hand.' That's exactly what Taila Santos is doing right now. That's gonna be the plan. She's gonna go out there and try to stand toe-toe with Valentina Shevchenko... Listen, everyone gets beat sometime."
Valentina Shevchenko made her UFC debut in 2015. The 34-year-old has an 11-2 record in the organization, with both her losses coming against Amanda Nunes.
Taila Santos, meanwhile, is on a four-fight winning streak. Her last performance in the octagon was a first-round rear-naked choke victory over Joanna Wood, which earned her a Performance of the Night bonus and her first title shot.
The two women will go head-to-head for the first time this weekend on a stacked UFC 275 card that also features the returning Joanna Jędrzejczyk in a rematch against Zhang Weili. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between champion Glover Teixeira and challenger Jiří Procházka.
Watch Michael Bisping discuss the women's flyweight title fight here:
Taila Santos believes Valentina Shevchenko is beatable
While some may view Taila Santos as overly confident, her MMA credentials pre-UFC are still very impressive. Santos finished 13 of her opponents in the cage, 11 of which were first-round finishes, before she took the step-up to the UFC octagon.
The Brazilian has only lost one fight in her MMA career, which was her second fight in the UFC. That loss is her only blemish on what is otherwise a very impressive record (19-1).
Ahead of her bout with Valentina Shevchenko, Santos insisted that 'Bullet' isn't unbeatable. Discussing the bout during the UFC 275 Countdown, the Brazilian said:
"Valentina, she's not unbeatable. I've seen some flaws on the ground, in her striking too. She's the champion, right? Until we fight."
Santos will put her four-fight streak on the line against Shevchenko, who is looking to make it a record-extending seven title defenses in the women's flyweight division.
Watch Taila Santos discuss her upcoming bout with Valentina Shevchenko here:
