Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will return to the Octagon for a 125-pound title defense against top division contender — and former strawweight champion — Jessica Andrade.
Their five-round showdown is expected to join the upcoming UFC 261 pay-per-view (PPV) event on April 24, according to ESPN, though a city and venue have yet to be determined. As with most COVID-era cards, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi are the likely frontrunners.
Shevchenko (20-3) dropped down to the flyweight class after coughing up a decision to pound-for-pound queen Amanda Nunes back in late 2017. The result was six straight wins, three nasty finishes, and one division title.
As for the hot-and-cold Andrade (21-8), who surrendered the strawweight crown to Asian sensation Weili Zhang in summer 2019, she’ll continue to ply her trade at flyweight after knocking around veteran bruiser Katlyn Chookagian last October.
UFC 261 will also feature the middleweight rematch between Ring of Combat imports Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman. Elsewhere on the card, Jimmy Crute challenges Anthony Smith at 185 pounds, while Danaa Batgerel collides with Kevin Natividad in bantamweight action.