Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko: Fighters pull no punches before rematch

It makes perfect sense for Amanda Nunes to open her women’s bantamweight title defense at UFC 213 on Saturday by launching the same hammer punches that made first-round wrecks of Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.

In aiming those fists at Valentina Shevchenko, Nunes confronts a more elusive target, an experienced martial artist who took Nunes the full three rounds in a non-title fight 16 months ago.

Nunes (14-4) tired late in her unanimous-decision victory, and this rematch for the belt is scheduled for five rounds.

“This is the thing I’ve talked about — fighting mental,” Shevchenko said. “If something goes exactly as you plan it, then you are good, but if something goes wrong and you’re in against a very good fighter, then things change little by little — until I finish her.”

Las Vegas bookmakers call the fight a pick ’em.

Shevchenko has built herself to the No. 1-rated women’s bantamweight fighter since the loss by decisively beating former champion Holly Holm, then submitting a skilled, tough wrestler in Julianna Pena in January.

Trained in fighting since age 5, Shevchenko said her attention to the disciplines of the fight game should help her end Nunes’ five-fight winning streak.

“I’ve been taught to always respect, never fear. That stayed with me until now,” Shevchenko said. “You need the power of your mind to fight and tell yourself, ‘I must be stronger.’ I’m very confident, because in my past two fights I prepared for five rounds. I’m conditioned to finish her as soon as I can, but I’m prepared for everything. You have to be prepared for 10 times more than you expect.”

Shevchenko’s respect of Nunes’ punching power is felt in the tiny scar above her right eyebrow, where a second-round punch landed in the first fight and cut Shevchenko.

But the challenger takes comfort in knowing it was “not a very hard punch.”

“This is different from fighting someone who knows wrestling and ground [like Tate and Rousey] versus a person who knows [striking] distance, who feels the distance,” Shevchenko said.

Nunes, emboldened by the way she’s imposed her will in her past two fights, spent the week dismissing concerns over how her cardio will hold up if the bout continues past the third round.

“This is the perfect fight for me. I’m ready for everything she’s going to bring,” Nunes said before she weighed in at the bantamweight limit (135 pounds) with Shevchenko at 134.5.

“Valentina is pretty tough, but since her last fight against me, she hasn’t really changed. Her opponents have followed her game plan. Valentina is a counter fighter. Every time you move forward, she’s going to counter and catch you. Her opponents made the same mistake over and over.”

Not finishing Shevchenko last time is an opportunity, Nunes said, to show the fighting strides she’s made in elevating to champion.

“I’m better than her in every way. I will prove it,” Nunes said. “I got tired in the third round, but that fight wasn’t even close. I will be ready. That fight, I trained for three rounds, not five. However long it goes — either way — my hand will be raised.”

UFC 213 also includes the interim middleweight title fight between No. 1 contender Yoel Romero from Cuba and No. 3 Robert Whittaker of Australia. Whittaker has won seven consecutive fights with four knockouts, including an April victory over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Middleweight champion Michael Bisping is sidelined because of a knee injury and supposed to fight the winner, although a date with former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre could re-emerge after being previously eyed for Saturday’s card.

Also, Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1), an Orange County-trained former heavyweight champion, meets Alistair Overeem (42-15), with the winner strongly positioned to face champion Stipe Miocic, who knocked out Werdum in the first round in Brazil in May 2016.

Overeem “won’t want to go to the ground with me,” Miocic said. “But whether he does or not, he’ll grow tired, for sure. He doesn’t have the gas tank I have.”

UFC 213

Main Event: Amanda Nunes (14-4), Brazil, vs. Valentina Shevchenko (14-2), Kyrgyzstan, for Nunes’ women’s bantamweight title

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Television: Pay-per-view, $59.95; Fox Sports 1 preliminaries at 5 p.m.

Undercard: Yoel Romero (12-1) vs. Robert Whittaker (19-4), for the interim middleweight belt; Daniel Omielanczuk (19-7) vs. Curtis Blaydes (7-1), heavyweights; Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1) vs. Alistair Overeem (42-15), heavyweights; Anthony Pettis (19-6) vs. Jim Miller (28-9), lightweights

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire