UFC president Dana White is not on board with booking Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko III.
Nunes has been on a tear. She holds UFC gold in both the women’s featherweight and bantamweight divisions. “The Lioness” is regarded by many as the greatest female fighter of all time. While that may sound like a narrative thrown out to increase marketability, Nunes’ resume can’t be denied. She has decimated the likes of Cris Cyborg, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Holly Holm.
White Not A Fan Of Nunes vs. Shevchenko 3 Idea
After losing to Cat Zingano back in 2014, Nunes has gone on an 11-fight tear. During that span, she defeated current flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, twice. At the end of their first encounter, many felt Shevchenko was finding her rhythm better in the final frame. The rematch drew some controversy, as some felt Shevchenko did enough to earn the nod.
Speaking to reporters during the UFC 250 post-fight press conference, White explained why he has no interest in seeing Nunes vs. Shevchenko right now (via BJPenn.com).
“For the third time? Amanda won twice. No. I don’t think that’s the right fight for Valentina. First of all, if you look at Amanda, she’s the queen of two divisions right now, 35 and 45. I think what you’d see before that is a couple more wins from Weili, and that fight happening before you would see the Amanda fight again,” White said.
Shevchenko has ruled the roost at 125 pounds and many believe it’ll stay that way for years to come. “Bullet” is coming off a third-round TKO victory over Katlyn Chookagian. She is expected to put her title on the line against Joanne Calderwood later this year.
Nunes is coming off her first successful women’s featherweight title defense. She defeated Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 250.
