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Valentina Shevchenko is one of the most skilled fighters on the UFC roster. For that, she is the reigning women's flyweight queen. But prior to finally capturing UFC gold, 'Bullet' spent the early part of her run through the promotion as a bantamweight.
Despite a spirited effort, the former Muay Thai world champion came up short against the power-punching Amanda Nunes in her bid to capture the 135 lbs crown. 'The Lioness' was simply too big and too powerful. Yet even then, Valentina Shevchenko managed to force her foe into a split decision.
While times have since changed, 'Bullet' remains as good as ever, perhaps even better. With 2023 now upon us, a new fighter will be crowned as this year's top mixed martial artist come the year's end. There's good reason to believe it could be Shevchenko.
#5. Valentina Shevchenko is on the verge of cleaning out her division
The truth of the matter is that the UFC women's flyweight division is fairly shallow. A good chunk of the 125 lbs weight class will never cross swords with Valentina Shevchenko inside the octagon. Additionally, 'Bullet' has already defeated three of the top five women's flyweight contenders.
Jéssica Andrade and Katlyn Chookagian were both finished by the reigning divisional queen in dominant fashion. Meanwhile, Taila Santos lost via split decision to the former kickboxer. There are only a few highly skilled contenders for her to face. This puts 'Bullet' in a position to clear out her division.
If she manages to defeat the remaining contenders at 125 lbs, Valentina Shevchenko will stand out as a pure champion. No other UFC champion barring Amanda Nunes could claim the same.
#4. Valentina Shevchenko could become the next two-division champion
There is almost nothing left for 'Bullet' to accomplish in the women's flyweight division. She now has seven title defenses on her record. The next step is to do what many champions have attempted to achieve ever since Conor McGregor made history by becoming a simultaneous two-division champion.
While the Irishman was the first of his kind in the UFC, Valentina Shevchenko could become the next one. To do so, she can either return to the bantamweight division and face her longtime rival Amanda Nunes, or she can cut to the strawweight division for a blockbuster bout with Zhang Weili.
Shevchenko has history with both women. 'Magnum' has challenged her to a matchup before, while 'Bullet' has faced 'The Lioness' twice before. If she can defeat either woman en route to capturing a second title, she might stand out if Alexander Volkanovski fails to dethrone Islam Makhachev.
#3. She might earn highlight-reel finishes
Valentina Shevchenko is highly skilled in both the striking and grappling departments. The former Muay Thai world champion was responsible for one of the scariest knockouts in UFC history after she flatlined Jessica Eye with a thunderous head kick.
She was also one of the last people to finish former bantamweight champion Julianna Peña. 'Bullet' did so with an armbar. Her ability to finish fights on the mat and in the standup department renders her fully capable of a wider variety of highlight reel finishes than other UFC fighters.
Right now, most UFC champions are specialists. Ciryl Gane, Jamahal Hill, Alex Pereira, and Leon Edwards are all strikers. Islam Makhachev is a grappler. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski is a striker with a low finishing rate. At bantamweight, Aljamain Sterling is a grappler.
Only Zhang Weili matches Valentina Shevchenko's versatility. If 'Bullet' secures several highlight-reel finishes with both striking and grappling, she could set herself apart from everyone else.
#2. She is eager to fight
Activity is important. Oftentimes, UFC fighters are most active prior to capturing championship gold. Contenders with aspirations of rising through the division en route to a title fight must prove to the promotion that they've done enough to earn a crack at the reigning champion.
Once a fighter captures the divisional throne, however, their activity levels tend to drop. Valentina Shevchenko is different. She would like to remain active and fight more than once per year. Last month, 'Bullet' expressed her frustration over the lack of opponents lining up to face her.
She spoke about her desire to fight in December last year but the UFC wasn't able to find an opponent for her. She then issued a public challenge to all 125'ers in her division. If she faces multiple contenders and takes part in more matchups and earns more wins than any other champion, she'll be highly celebrated.
#1. Valentina Shevchenko could dethrone Amanda Nunes
Valentina Shevchenko could become a two-division champion by challenging either Zhang Weili or Amanda Nunes. But the feat of dethroning the Brazilian power-puncher would earn her a different level of acclaim. The two women have a rivalry due to their past encounters.
While Julianna Peña defeated 'The Lioness' two years ago, many have branded it a fluky upset similar to Matt Serra’s win against Georges St. Pierre. The win, however, was legitimate and was based on 'The Venezuelan Vixen' neutralizing the effect of the Brazilian's jab.
But if Shevchenko returns to the division to reignite her rivalry with Amanda Nunes by defeating her, it will earn her a brighter spotlight. By finally dethroning the woman who has beaten every bantamweight champion in UFC history, she will almost certainly be Fighter of the Year.
