Just a little under two weeks removed from her spectacular knockout win over Jessica Eye at UFC 238 in Chicago, Illinois (relive it here), Valentina Shevchenko already has her next title defense lined up.
According to ESPN, Shevchenko will put her Flyweight title on the line against Liz Carmouche in the main event of an upcoming UFC Fight Night event slated to go down inside Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay on August 10, 2019.
Winner of two straight and four of five overall, Carmouche has quietly gone about her business to rise to the top of the women’s 125-pound division, losing only once since 2014. Interestingly enough, Liz is one of only two women to ever defeat “Bullet” in mixed martial arts (MMA), defeating her way back in 2010 on the regional circuit via doctor’s stoppage.
It’s something that still haunts Valentina to this day.
“It was like some kind of medical stoppage,” Shevchenko told BJPenn.com Radio. “I was dominating all round, I was throwing combinations, I even took her down. I came for the leg lock and she threw from the ground — I was standing on my feet — she throws the heel and it landed right on my brow. So [I got] this cut on the eye and the doctor decided to stop the fight. This was not the way I planned [it], I was ready to continue the fight but the doctor decided different way.”
Carmouche was lined up to face Roxanne Modafferi at UFC on ESPN 4 for next month in San Antonio, Texas, but the promotion opted to give her a title shot, instead. While I’m sure Liz isn’t complaining, it leaves “The Happy Warrior” without a dance partner for the time being.
The championship fight will be Liz’s second inside the Octagon, as she came up short in the first-ever female fight inside the Octagon against Ronda Rousey way back at UFC 157 in 2013.
Second time’s a charm?