LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] and [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] didn’t give each other an inch during their final face-to-face before UFC 266.
Shevchenko (21-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is set to defend her women’s flyweight title against Murphy (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+.
After both women successfully made weight on Friday morning, they headed to the Park Theatre for ceremonial weigh-ins. It was there they had a final pre-fight staredown in front of fans and media.
Anyone picking Lauren Murphy for an all-time upset or will it be #AndStill again for Valentina Shevchenko at #UFC266? pic.twitter.com/AzXMvoJxmE
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) September 24, 2021
Shevchenko and Murphy kept professional for the proceedings and avoided physicality, but brought the intensity with them.
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Murphy will need that inside the cage if she plans to pull off the victory. She’s a massive betting underdog going into the fight with Shevchenko, who is seeking her sixth consecutive defense of the 125-pound belt.
Check out the full UFC 266 ceremonial weigh-in faceoff with Shevchenko and Murphy in the video above.