During the first episode of TUF season 32, UFC fans were stunned as Valentina Shevchenko revealed she doesn’t allow anyone to drink water during training.

The new season of The Ultimate Fighter is finally here, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso squaring off against former champion Valentina Shevchenko ahead of their expected trilogy at The Sphere this September.

In the first episode of TUF season 32, which premiered around the world last night via ESPN, ‘The Bullet’ revealed that she has a rather unique training policy – one that has certainly divided the online community.

Valentina Shevchenko doesn’t let her fighters drink water during training

In the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter season 32, athletes were coming to grips with the various training drills, regiments, and teaching styles of their championship-level coaches.

However, there was one policy by former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko that certainly caught the attention of the MMA fanbase: That she doesn’t allow anyone to quench their thirst during a training session.

“So, on the training, we don’t drink water. Nothing.

“When you are drinking water, you are kind of like focusing on [the fact] that you are tired,” explained ‘The Bullet’.

“This is a way to develop your champion mindset… Water only before, or after, during the training – nothing, we don’t drink.”

Featherweight prospect Nathan Fletcher acknowledged that whilst the ‘No Water’ policy might be a tough adjustment, this is exactly the type of challenge that turns great fighters into world title caliber athletes.

“With Valentina, she’s a very strict coach and we don’t drink any water during the sessions which is something new – I think it’s a mental advantage, it’s challenging [but] it pushes your mental toughness.”

Whilst Fletcher might be looking on the positive side of things, the MMA community has had a decidedly mixed reaction to the unusual ‘No Water’ policy.

“With Valentina, she’s a very strict coach and we don’t drink any water during the sessions which is something new – I think it’s a mental advantage, it’s challenging [but] it pushes your mental toughness.”

Whilst Fletcher might be looking on the positive side of things, the MMA community has had a decidedly mixed reaction to the unusual ‘No Water’ policy.

“With Valentina, she’s a very strict coach and we don’t drink any water during the sessions which is something new – I think it’s a mental advantage, it’s challenging [but] it pushes your mental toughness.”

Whilst Fletcher might be looking on the positive side of things, the MMA community has had a decidedly mixed reaction to the unusual ‘No Water’ policy.

MMA fans have mixed responses to the ‘No Water’ policy

Not drinking during training sessions is certainly nothing new to the world of combat sports, with athletes of the Muslim faith often having to forgo water during the fasting periods of Ramadan.

Yet given the intense heat and humidity of Las Vegas, where TUF is filmed, Shevchenko’s decision to put such a challenge on the shoulders of her young fighters has been met with skepticism by the global MMA community.

The top two replies to the ESPN MMA post are a picture of a refrigerator full of bottled water and a comment that simply stated, “Yeah she’s dehydrated.”

Other top responses from fans range from “One of my old coaches used to do this with us, it’s good for mental focus: plus one hour of training without water isn’t that hard.”

All the way to, “Absolutely ridiculous. Never deprive yourself water, ever. Sure, don’t drink too much between rounds when fighting, but this is just disappointing.”

“If you are hydrated beforehand, training for two hours should be no problem,” argued one viewer, with another adding that the policy “makes sense when you’re in the thick of the fight [as] you shouldn’t be thinking about water.”

“No water policy is not strange 1-2 hour training you don’t need it if it isn’t sparring,” another reply to the post read, with one fan noting that the policy is proof of The Bullet’s commitment to bring her A-game to the teaching aspect of TUF.

“Damn, that’s hardcore! Can’t imagine going through a tough training session without water. Respect to Valentina for that dedication.”

Yet there definitely wasn’t a clear consensus in the replies, with one viewer joking “My legs and back are just cramping up watching this!”

“This should be fine for elite athletes. They should already know how best to train and preserve their energy but this is absolutely not a good idea for amateurs.”

New episodes from The Ultimate Fighter season 32: Grasso vs Shevchenko premiere every Tuesday via ESPN and ESPN+.