Dec. 8, 2018. How far is it to watch for a fight in which Valentina Shevchenko was nothing but a prohibitive bet favorite. And even on that date, when she won the vacant UFC flyweight title over former major strawweight winner Joanna Zdrezski, strangely favored her.
For bookies and non-bookies alike, it is a testament to be considered ahead of Shevchenko (20–3, 13 finishes) compared to the rest of the 125-pound contenders.
But there is a distinct vivacity coming for JFC 261 on Saturday in defense of Shampoo’s fifth title at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. She will take on former 115-pound champion Jessica Andrade in one of three titles to be aired on Pay-Two. Per-view. Certainly, Shevchenko remains a heavy favorite, but the betting line currently rises to about -400, rather than the typical -1000 from its four titles for the past four years.
It is possible that due to the respect Andred (21-8, 15 finishes) brings to the Octagon as a former champion who has few equipment, on paper, to push Shevchenko to some level. The challenge is short and strong, winning her strawweight crown from Slam Knockout to Rose Namajunas. (Incidentally, NamaJun will challenge Zhang Weili, the woman who took the belt from Andrade, for this title on Saturday).
“I think he’s a very strong fighter,” Shevchenko told The Post on phone last Thursday. “He has very strong power. She wrestles very well, so she is a fighter you have to be careful with. … I am very [much] Likes to fight with the best people. Only this is how you can show up and prove that you are the best, the best to fight with all.
“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m the champion, and I’ll handle this belt the whole time.
Kyrgyzstan native Shevchenko, who represents her Peruvian adopted home, won by clear, unanimous decision over Jennifer Maia on 21 November.
For the first time since returning to flyweight in 2018, he missed a round (second) on the scorecards of all three judges.
That weight-class switch came in the wake of a heavily debated split-decision loss to bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who has since added the winged title to her all-time greats. Two women have been equally effective in three of the UFC’s four women’s weight classes, making the third meet for outside observers despite Nunes’ 2–0 record in both rivals – the first loss also closely contested. Was, going was a distance of three rounds.
While Shevchenko is open to opportunities, his only focus is defending the flyweight title “to keep this belt for a long time”.
“If it’s going to happen in the future, right, then we’ll fight,” Shevchenko said of a possible third meeting against Nunes. “… I am not a person who is running and liking for such a fight.”
Shevchenko’s approach to the flyweight division is similar to another major champion, the recently retired and still unbeaten lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Like Nurmagomedov, she believes that building her heritage within her own division is a worthy pursuit, not necessarily jumping weight class or becoming a “shampoo-shampoo” like Nunes.
“Isn’t it enough to defend your belt and be effective in your own weight class, when your whole life was spent fighting in big weight classes and now, finally, you have your own weight class where you perform And show your best? ” Shevchenko, who won notable victories at 135 pounds of ex-bantamweight champions Holly Holm, Sarah Kaufman and Juliana Pena, makes rhetoric with impunity.
A possible complication exists at flyweight, however. His older sister, Antonina Shevchenko, also competes in the UFC at 125 pounds. Antonina, considered 3–2 in the UFC, is considered a top-15 flyweight by herself, giving her alternate wins with defeats to respected veterans Roxanne Modaferi and Kaitlyn Chukagian.
When they met for the shampoo title last February, Valentina would become the first to eliminate Chukagian.
It is not a problem that the UFC’s first and only pair of sisters are still concerned. They will cross that bridge when they reach it.
“When it’s going to happen, we [will] Shevchenko said, start thinking about it. “Right now, I’m focused on my path, and she’s focused on her path. She’s focused on going and being a contender, but that’s when it happens – and it [will] It happens, I’m sure I know – we’ll make plans, definitely. “
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