Ever since she regained her belt at Noche UFC 306 last September, two-time UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has been having a newly-painted target on her back in the division. After defeating former champion Alexa Grasso in their third bout, 'Bullet' now has an army of new contenders waiting to get a crack at her throne.
One such contender is no.2-ranked UFC flyweight Manon Fiorot, who personally called out Shevchenko on her X account, saying:
"@BulletValentina stop making people wait! Let's do it soon enough so I can send you to retirement and move on. @MMAJunkie @mmamania @espnmma @danawhite @Mickmaynard2"
The fact that Fiorot also mentioned UFC president Dana White and UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard plus a few MMA publications means she's dead-set on making this call-out known to all those concerned.
Fiorot is on an 11-fight winning streak, with seven straight victories in the UFC. She also has a notable win over former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas at flyweight.
Given her accolades and the fact that Alexa Grasso just fought three straight fights with the champ, perhaps Fiorot is the correct choice for the next contender.
Valentina Shevchenko reclaimed her UFC flyweight belt from Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306
After facing Alexa Grasso two straight times in the past, Valentina Shevchenko finally got to right her wrongs in one-sided unanimous decision win at Noche UFC 306. Inside the legendary Sphere in Las Vegas, 'Bullet' reclaimed her belt in a performance that some fans criticized as too safe for the champion. For this reason, some found the bout boring and uneventful.
The fight started with a few exchanges on the feet. However, it didn't take long for Shevchenko to change levels and land on top of the then-champion. Going from guard to mount to back control, 'Bullet' took the first round with relative ease.
Rounds two and three looked quite the same. Valentina Shevchenko took Alexa Grasso down and accumulated enough control time to soundly win the rounds. The defending champion attempted a few submissions, but they were nowhere near effective.
By rounds four and five, Grasso seemed retired to the idea of 'Bullet' taking her down again, prompting her to attempt guillotine chokes instead of sprawling out to defend the wrestling attempts.
Shevchenko handily won the championship rounds by gaining massive control time whilst repeatedly sending her opponent to the canvas.