After a carefully disputed choice win to open her 2nd power as UFC ladies’s flyweight champ, Valentina Shevchenko believes a superfight may be following.
Shevchenko (25-4-1 MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, 14-3-1 UFC) outworked opposition Manon Fiorot (12-2 MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, 7-1 UFC) a little bit greater than 3 weeks back at UFC 315 in Toronto in the co-main occasion. She won with a triad of 48-47 ratings. It had not been instantly clear after the win whom her following opposition would certainly be.
Saturday, while in Las Vegas, Shevchenko can have obtained a little quality with the UFC on ESPN 68 centerpiece in between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber– up until Barber took out minutes prior to her walkout, properly dumping herself from the discussion. Before Shevchenko beat Fiorot, Natalia Silva knocked Alexa Grasso down the ladder.
So there is Silva, and there is Blanchfield– yet Shevchenko additionally believes when the moment involves identify what’s following, the name can be from one more department.
Shevchenko believes strawweight champ Zhang Weili (26-3 MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, 10-2 UFC) has layouts on a go up to 125 extra pounds for a chance at the belt, which’s the battle she believes is most practical.
“Flyweight right now is the most exciting weight class – so many good and talented fighters,” Shevchenko stated on the post-fight program after the UFC on ESPN 68 program. “But from the other side, you can see the champion. She built up her career. She deserves so much because of her title defenses. I feel at this point, she deserves this fight. Everyone deserves it.”
After a two-fight run of losses to Rose Namajunas in title battles, Weili has 5 straight victories. She had one protection in 2023 versus Amanda Lemos, one in 2024 versus Yan Xiaonan and one earlier this year at UFC 312 versus Tatiana Suarez.
Virna Jandiroba placed herself ready to obtain a title shot in April with her 5th straight win, and she’s one name Shevchenko does not carry her return to yet. But the concept of combating Weili eventually may be difficult to withstand– though Shevchenko emphasized she’ll wait up until she’s completely recuperated from her sway Fiorot and all set to begin a camp prior to she’ll completely study getting ready for any person.
“Weili has the same passion for martial arts (as me) and has this mindset of ‘no matter what happens’ – not fame or whatever,” Shevchenko stated. “She’s very loyal and feels good about mixed martial arts. This is what I like about her. It’s the same as I am, the feeling for martial arts itself. I’m hearing from my fans this is what they want to see.”
