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Reigning UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is one of the greatest female fighters in MMA history. She has an incredible track record in combat sports and has been a great ambassador for the promotion.
'Bullet' is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak and has set herself up nicely for a return to 135lbs. She has done enough to earn an opportunity to become a two-division champion in the promotion. Following this past weekend's pay-per-view event, Dana White mentioned that he wouldn't be opposed to Shevchenko moving up to challenge Amanda Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship.
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'Bullet' vs. 'The Lioness' would mark the third time the two all-time greats have competed against one another inside the octagon. And so, there could be a lot at stake for their respective legacies if they fight again. This list will examine five reasons why Valentina Shevchenko deserves the next UFC women's bantamweight title shot.
#5. Former UFC title challenger Taila Santos is injured
Valentina Shevchenko most recently defended her UFC women's flyweight championship against Taila Santos. It wasn't the best of performances for Shevchenko, but she managed to successfully retain her title via split decision. Santos did a great job utilizing her grappling against the champion and had her in favorable positions throughout the fight.
Unfortunately, Santos sustained an injury during the bout, resulting in her being sidelined for the foreseeable future. It was a controversial decision as many believed that a new women's flyweight champion should have been crowned. It was a much closer bout than Valentina Shevchenko's past title defenses, which was refreshing to see.
Based on the bout's outcome, Shevchenko vs. Santos 2 seemed logical. However, as a result of the injury, the fight could be put on hold until after 'Bullet' challenges Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship.
#4. Amanda Nunes regained the UFC women's bantamweight championship decisively
The main event of UFC 277 saw Amanda Nunes regain her UFC women's bantamweight championship via unanimous decision. It was a decisive win as the judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-44, and 50-43 in her favor. In doing so, Nunes avenged her loss to Julianna Pena and moved back to No. 1 in the women's pound-for-pound rankings.
Usually, when a champion avenges their loss and regains a championship, the next logical step is booking a trilogy. However, the win was so decisive that it would be challenging for the promotion to sell the trilogy to fans. Although 'The Venezuelan Vixen' got some good shots in, she was dropped numerous times throughout the bout.
Pena will likely have to go on another winning streak to earn a trilogy bout with Nunes. With that in mind, there aren't really any contenders who could pose a threat to 'Lioness' and generate interest like Shevchenko.
#3. Valentina Shevchenko has cleaned out the UFC women's flyweight division
With her most recent title defense, Valentina Shevchenko has effectively run through the UFC women's flyweight division. She won the women's flyweight championship in 2018 after defeating former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk via unanimous decision. The title was vacant after former champion Nicco Montano was stripped of the title after only 280 days.
Since becoming the champion, Shevchenko's reign has lasted 1335 days and counting, during which she's had seven successful title defenses. Aside from her recent bout with Santos, 'Bullet' has been dominant throughout her title reign. Some of her challengers during her reign include Katlyn Chookagian, former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade, and reigning Bellator women's flyweight champion Liz Carmouche.
After a lengthy title reign, it would make sense for Valentina Shevchenko to move up and challenge Nunes for the women's bantamweight championship. She has already defeated the top contenders in the division, so a move to 135lbs could be a much-needed change.
#2. Amanda Nunes won a controversial split decision at UFC 215 against Valentina Shevchenko
'The Lioness' vs. 'Bullet' 2 at UFC 215 has been the argument for why a trilogy bout is necessary. It was Nunes' second title defense as champion and followed her knockout win against Ronda Rousey. The challenger was looking to avenge her loss from the previous year and, simultaneously, become champion.
The rematch between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko was a closely contested bout. However, it's important to note that Shevchenko got the better of the exchanges for most of the fight. Despite having two losses to Nunes, it wouldn't be the first time a trilogy has been booked under those circumstances.
Most recently, Alexander Volkanovski fought Max Holloway for the third time after 'The Great' had already won both their previous encounters. Shevchenko is in a similar situation to Holloway, as many felt 'Blessed' won his second bout with Volkanovski. With that in mind, a third bout could be enticing because of what transpired in the rematch
#1. The outcome could lead to a fourth bout for the UFC women's featherweight championship
There could be a lot more than the UFC women's bantamweight championship at stake in a trilogy bout between Shevchenko and Nunes. Both women are reigning champions in the promotion, but if 'Bullet' avenges her loss, it could set the stage for a fourth bout.
'Lioness' is the reigning women's featherweight champion. However, there are no definitive rankings for that division. Considering that both are considered the top pound-for-pound female fighters in the sport, a potential fourth bout could be significant. There's a strong possibility that Nunes would want an opportunity to avenge a loss should Shevchenko defeat her for the women's bantamweight championship.
Since both women are under consideration as the greatest female fighter of all time, the outcome of the fight could settle that argument. After losing out on a lucrative super-fight between Nunes and Kayla Harrison, perhaps Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes could be the next best thing.
