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After her win over Lauren Murphy at UFC 266, many fans are now wondering what’s next for UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. After all, ‘Bullet’ has all but cleaned out her division.
Many fans have suggested that a superfight with current UFC featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes should be next for Valentina Shevchenko, but would this be a good idea?
It’s easy to see why the UFC would be tempted to book the fight. After all, neither woman has many viable challengers left in their respective divisions. However, the truth is that to make this fight right now would be a mistake on a number of levels.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why the UFC should not book a third fight between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko.
#5. The UFC should not look to tie up three divisions with one fight
Perhaps the biggest reason for the UFC to avoid booking a third fight between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko is that in doing so, they would essentially tie up the title picture in three separate divisions.
Unless the UFC could get the fight done in early 2022 at the latest, then essentially, the promotion’s flyweight contenders in particular would simply have nothing to aim for in the short term.
And given that Nunes is set to defend her UFC bantamweight title against Julianna Pena at UFC 269 in December and has been taking longer layoffs between fights than ever before, then realistically, it could be a year before a prospective Nunes/Shevchenko clash might happen.
Put simply, that feels hugely unfair to contenders who are still looking to work their way up to challenge one of these two legendary champions. Bantamweight prospect Aspen Ladd, for instance, is set to face off with Macy Chiasson this weekend. If she wins, then she’s probably done enough to earn a shot against Nunes. Would it really be fair to then leave her on the shelf or force her to fight again in the interim while we wait for Nunes vs. Shevchenko?
Add in the fact that the UFC needs as many of its champions as possible to be active to provide viable headline fights for its myriad number of cards right now, and it makes no sense to tie up three divisions with one bout.
#4. Both Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko need to retain their unbeatable auras
While Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are definitely both amongst the best fighters in the UFC right now and are arguably the two best female fighters in UFC history, it’s probably not unfair to suggest that neither is a true superstar.
Where the likes of Conor McGregor and the Diaz brothers appear to be able to retain their drawing power regardless of their results in the octagon, fighters like Nunes and Shevchenko are a little different.
Sure, they’re treated as big stars by the UFC and by the fans right now, but that’s only because they’re world class fighters operating at the top of their game. If either woman loses, any star power that they currently hold would likely be shattered to a certain extent.
With that in mind, booking a fight between them would be highly dangerous, simply because it would mean that one of the two would have to lose. If Nunes came out on top, then UFC fans would probably look down on Shevchenko as a champion who simply walked over a weak weight class.
If the 'Lioness' were to lose, then her whole persona as the greatest female fighter in MMA history would be gone. Simply put, there’s too much to risk for both women in a fight like this and so the UFC would be best to avoid it altogether.
#3. There are viable opponents in the UFC for both Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko
Many UFC fans would probably claim that both Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko have cleaned out their respective divisions, but in fact, that’s not entirely true. Sure, it’s safe to say that neither woman has truly been challenged in a long time, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t viable contenders out there and the UFC’s own ranking system proves that.
Nunes admittedly has no prospective opponents at 145 pounds, meaning her UFC featherweight title is little more than a vanity belt at this stage. But at 135 pounds, that’s not the case at all.
Not only does she have a fight with the No.5-ranked Julianna Pena coming up, but she also has yet to face off with No.4-ranked Irene Aldana, No.6-ranked Yana Kunitskaya and No.7-ranked Ketlen Vieira, as well as hot prospect Aspen Ladd.
Shevchenko has been slightly more dominant over her division, as she holds wins over the No.1, No.2, No.3, No.4 and No.8 fighters in the flyweight category. However, young prospects such as Alexa Grasso, Miranda Maverick and Maycee Barber could easily develop into viable challengers for her in the near future.
Would any of the afore-mentioned fighters provide a challenge to Nunes and Shevchenko like a fight between each other would? Well, no, but that’s not the point. Both women still have viable challengers out there, meaning it’s worth keeping them apart for the time being.
#2. There’s nothing wrong with having dominant champions in the UFC
While the UFC naturally likes to provide the toughest tests possible for its champions, it’s also important to remember that the promotion was built on the back of dominant champions and their title reigns. Far more people look fondly upon Anderson Silva’s seven-year reign as UFC middleweight champion than they do the period just after it, when the title was passed around like a hot potato, for instance.
And there’s a reason that Kamaru Usman is now garnering a massive fanbase despite not being the most charismatic fighter. It’s because he’s a massively dominant UFC champion who usually destroys his opponents. In the case of Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko, though, some fans seem to believe that their dominance is something to be looked down upon and so the only choice is a fight between them.
That just isn’t the case, though. After all, would anyone really care about the women’s flyweight division if it didn’t have a virtuoso champion like ‘Bullet’ at the top?
The UFC women’s bantamweight division is a little different, but the fact that an all-time great like Nunes still rules over it instantly makes it a much more fascinating place, too.
Essentially, having a dominant champion doesn’t mean a UFC division is weak. It just means that an all-time great is at work. And so surely it’s better to keep those dominant champions apart and let them continue to create a legacy.
#1. Their last clash was one of the worst UFC title fights of all time
UFC fans clamoring for a third fight between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko would probably do well to remember their most recent meeting before they continue their demands.
While their first meeting at UFC 196 was a relatively entertaining fight eventually won by Nunes, the same cannot be said for their second bout. That fight headlined UFC 215 in September 2017. To say it was disappointing would be an understatement.
The 'Lioness’ and ‘Bullet’ treated the fans in Vancouver to a display of excellent technical striking that night. Unfortunately though, the fight was also hugely lacking in aggression, drama and any kind of memorable moments.
When the five-round clash eventually ended, most fans were largely relieved. That relief continued when Nunes was declared the winner by split decision, as had the fight gone to a draw, the appetite for a rematch would’ve been non-existent.
And while both women have destroyed opponents in their respective divisions in the years that have followed, it’s hard to imagine a third fight between them wouldn’t follow the same pattern.
Essentially, Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 was widely seen as one of the worst UFC title fights of all time. So why would the promotion want to book the fight again? In a world in which the UFC is always looking to promote entertaining fights, they’d be insane to even attempt it.
