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#4. Valentina Shevchenko departing flyweight could refresh the division entirely
It’s probably fair to say that Valentina Shevchenko is not just one of the best champions operating in the UFC right now, she’s one of the greatest of all time. Since claiming the UFC flyweight title by defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk back in 2018, she’s made six successful defenses and has never really been tested.
Right now, ‘Bullet’ is rightfully considered the best female fighter, pound-for-pound, on the planet, but is there an argument that she’s actually holding the UFC’s flyweight division back? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Simply put, Shevchenko is so far ahead of her competition at 125 pounds that there’s no drama in any of her title defenses. Taila Santos, for instance, is clearly an excellent fighter, as she’s reeled off four wins in a row. However, nobody is really giving her a chance to beat ‘Bullet’.
If she were to move to bantamweight, though, not only would there be a scramble for the title she’d vacate, but some of her former victims – the likes of Katlyn Chookagian and Lauren Murphy – would suddenly be given a new lease of life.
Add in the fact that prospects like Casey O’Neill, Maycee Barber and Manon Fiorot would suddenly have a better shot at becoming a champion, and without Shevchenko, the UFC’s flyweight division would look in better shape, making her move to bantamweight worth it from the promotion’s perspective, too.
#3. A move to 135 pounds would give Valentina Shevchenko a chance to cement herself as UFC’s female GOAT
Valentina Shevchenko is clearly a great champion, as her six straight title defenses show. However, could ‘Bullet’ be considered the UFC’s female GOAT right now? It’s highly debatable.
Sure, Shevchenko is currently the top-ranked pound-for-pound female fighter in the promotion, and she’s clearly the most dominant fighter in her weight class. However, in the bigger picture, it’s arguable that she still sits behind Amanda Nunes.
Not only is ‘The Lioness’ the only female fighter to hold two UFC titles in separate weight classes simultaneously, but she’s also defeated a total of six former or current UFC champions, including Shevchenko on two separate occasions.
However, Nunes’ loss to Julianna Pena in 2021 put a dent of sorts in her legacy, and so if ‘Bullet’ could move up to 135 pounds and capture the title there, then there’d be an argument that she, and not ‘The Lioness’, deserves to be known as the female GOAT.
Essentially, if Shevchenko wants to put a real capper on her legacy in the octagon, then a move to bantamweight is highly necessary.
