Amanda Nunes could barely contain her excitement after witnessing Valentina Shevchenko submit Julianna Pena Saturday at UFC on Fox 23 in Denver. The UFC women’s bantamweight champ was out of her seat, cheering along with the rest of the arena for the unexpected finish.
What happened next has happened at UFC fights dozens of times before: Nunes was brought into the cage to have a few words with the victorious Shevchenko, who will likely challenge for her title next. Only, according to Dana White, the moment wasn’t planned at all.
Speaking on the Fox Sports post-fight show after the event, White stated that he was fully expecting Pena to come out victorious. Yet like everyone else, he was shocked at Valentina Shevchenko’s much more well-rounded skill set. Then, UFC brass took note of Nunes’ reaction. “She was fired up so we said okay, lets put her in there.”
The moment will likely start the road to a rematch between the two. Nunes first fought Shevchenko less than a year ago, winning a unanimous decision at UFC 196. That was the same night Miesha Tate captured UFC gold from Holly Holm. Nunes would then defeat Tate at UFC 200 to win the women’s bantamweight championship.
It certainly isn’t lost on Shevchenko that Nunes earned her title shot by beating her. Now, she’s looking for revenge, and promised in the cage Saturday that she would take the belt. With no other contenders emerging at the moment, this fight feels like a lock for Summer.
