Back to the MMA Newsfeed

Invicta FC champion Jennifer Maia explains decision to turn down UFC fight with Valentina Shevchenko

Jennifer Maia successfully defended the Invicta FC flyweight championship against Agnieszka Niedzwiedz on Dec. 8, and was close to facing one of the best fighters in the world shortly after.

Maia was happy with her performance against Niedzwiedz in Kansas City, scoring her sixth straight victory in MMA, but admits that the previously unbeaten Pole was better than she expected.

"I thought it would be easier,” Maia told MMA Fighting. "We watched her previous fights, her game, but I think she trained harder than I imagined. She evolved more than I imagined for this fight.