Valentina Shevchenko could be interested in another shot at Nunes if “The Lioness” beats Peña.
Valentina Shevchenko is sitting back and watching the drama unfold between Amanda Nunes and Juliana Peña. The flyweight champ does not have a direct interest in the fight that went down at UFC 269 or the rematch, but in a roundabout way, it could pique her interest.
Shevchenko has a history with Nunes. The two fought twice, with Nunes winning both times.
Even though Shevchenko is now at flyweight, there have been rumblings of a possible third fight between these two. Nunes losing the belt, however, has stalled those talks. Shevchenko spoke with SunSport about her thoughts on the upcoming bantamweight rematch and how it impacts her own future.
“I think Amanda will definitely want to take revenge next. There will be another fight [between Amanda and Julianna] again because it’s obvious,” she said. “If she prepares for the rematch, does everything right then she will probably regain her belt and it’ll be another reason why I have to move up to bantamweight for our trilogy.”
For a bit, a potential third fight between Amanda Nunes and Shevchenko was the most interesting matchup the UFC could make in both divisions. Both have been so dominant in their respective title runs that it seemed inevitable. However, it was up to Shevchenko to make the move up in weight since Nunes would be unlikely to drop and she was not willing to do so.
Shevchenko admitted that she was undersized when she fought at bantamweight and was grateful when the 125-pound division was made. When the UFC started allowing champions to hold two belts at the same time, that could have opened the door for the trilogy. But first, Nunes will have to get her bantamweight belt back.
Do you think Valentina Shevchenko could beat Amanda Nunes if they fought at bantamweight today?
