Priscila Cachoeira refutes criticism, defends coach: 'We're the ones who know my limits

Priscila Cachoeira had a difficult night in the cage with Valentina Shevchenko but says she’d still fight the ex-title-challenger “another 10 times” without even thinking twice.

Cachoeira (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was a massive underdog heading into the UFC Fight Night 125 contest with “Bullet.” The meeting, which ended up serving as co-headliner at Mangueirinho Gymnasium in Belem, Para, Brazil, was Cachoeira’s promotional debut, as well as Shevchenko’s (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) first flyweight bout – following a narrow split decision loss to 135-pound champ Amanda Nunes.

Shevchenko was able to submit Cachoeira in the second round of a one-sided beatdown that sparked criticism from several angles. While ref Mario Yamasaki took most of the heat for allowing it to go on as long as it did, the promotion was questioned about the mismatch and her cornerman and coach, Gilliard Parana, for both telling Cachoeira to shut up when she complained of knee pain and not throwing in the towel to halt the fight, even with all the punishment she was receiving.