Nunes Explains Decision To Punch Shevchenko During Last Week’s Staredown

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes recently explained by she punched Valentina Shevchenko last Friday.

Nunes is scheduled to defend her title against Shevchenko at UFC 213 on July 8 in Las Vegas.

Last Friday, the two women went face-to-face at the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference. While squaring off, Nunes threw a punch at her title challenger.

Nunes discussed her actions during a media lunch for UFC 213 on Wednesday.

“You guys never see me do that before,” Nunes said. “If she didn’t touch me, nothing is gonna happen. Imagine in that situation, a lot of emotions involved, touches touch your face. It’s not cool. I kind of responded in that moment. It was more than she did to me, but I reacted.

“You never know, especially how you feel in that moment and somebody talks so much (expletive) about you and touches you, your face. At that angle, you guys couldn’t see it that well, but I felt it.”

Nunes claims the reason she punched her is because Shevchenko touched her first.

UFC 213 will be the second time these two women fight. Back in March 2016, Nunes won a decision against Shevchenko at UFC 196.