Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Valentina Shevchenko is booked to face her next challenger early next year.
Valentina Shevchenko will defend her title early next year.
The UFC women’s flyweight champion is set to meet Katlyn Chookagian at the Feb. 8 pay-per-view card, ESPN reported Thursday morning.
The card will either be labelled as UFC 246 or UFC 247, depending on whether Conor McGregor returns in January, according to ESPN. It is expected to take place in Houston, but that has not been officially confirmed by the promotion.
Shevchenko, who is 4-0 since dropping down to 125 pounds, defended her belt twice this year, against Jessica Eye — via one of the most brutal knockouts of 2019 so far — and a one-sided unanimous decision over Liz Carmouche. “Bullet” won the vacant title late last year over former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Chookagian is coming off back-to-back wins over Jennifer Maia and Joanne Calderwood, respectively. She is 5-1 in her last six outings, with every bout going the distance. Her only two career stumbles have been to former title challengers Eye and Carmouche.