A fact that may not be widely known in the MMA world is that Valentina Shevchenko’s first professional loss came at the hands of UFC veteran Liz Carmouche, who was just victorious at UFC on ESPN+ 3 Saturday night with the unanimous nod over Lucie Pudilova. Now with two consecutive victories in the flyweight division, Carmouche looks to bookend Shevchenko’s first loss with her latest loss, becoming the UFC’s flyweight champion in the process:
“I want to fight for that belt. That’s what I’ve been gunning for,” Carmouche told reporters backstage following her victory. “I don’t care who’s holding it. If (Valentina Shevchenko) is the one that retains it, then she’s the one I want to fight. If it’s somebody else, then I want that belt.”
Liz Carmouche’s victory over Valentina Shevchenko came over eight years ago prior to either fighter entering the UFC back in 2010. The victory was due to a second-round doctor’s stoppage and took place in the bantamweight division. Though the bout may have been a lifetime ago, Valentina Shevchenko can attest to the notion that sometimes past results, no matter how long ago, can be a harbinger for the future after defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk as teenagers in Muay Thai and again in the MMA in her most recent fight at UFC 231 to become the new flyweight champion.
Valentina Shevchenko is tentatively scheduled to defend her title against Jessica Eye next, but should Liz Carmouche be next in line, that would be the second UFC title shot in Carmouche’s career. The first shot came in the first women’s bout in UFC’s history, where Carmouche took on Ronda Rousey for the bantamweight championship at UFC 157, losing by armbar in the very first round.
Do you believe Valentina Shevchenko seeking redemption against Liz Carmouche would make for an intriguing story for the flyweight division?
