Valentina Shevchenko | Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Valentina Shevchenko would like a third chance to take on Amanda Nunes after two decision losses.
The UFC’s female flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, wants to make it clear that she is completely focused on her upcoming title defense against Liz Carmouche on August 10. However, ‘Bullet’ can’t dismiss a desire to try to defeat current double champion Amanda Nunes, who defeated her twice before in the Octagon.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Shevchenko explains how she has a gut feeling that her path and Amanda’s will still cross again in the future, but Valentina just can’t pinpoint when. In the meantime, she plans to keep herself busy by defending the flyweight belt.
“I’m focused on defending my title in August and making a successful title defense. We’ll see what happens, I spent a long time with that rivalry with Amanda and I think our third fight will happen someday. Now I’m focused on defending my flyweight title, but we’ll see what the future has in store.”
“I’m not focused on what she thinks”, Valentina continued. “I’m focused on my division, on defending my belt. It doesn’t matter what she thinks or what I think, I know the trilogy will happen at some point.”
Currently on a three-fight winning streak and coming off a highlight reel head kick knockout win over Jessica Eye back in June, Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) also bested Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Priscila Cachoeira in her last few outings. In fact, Bullet’s sole UFC losses came by the hands of Nunes, one being an unanimous decision loss in March 2016 and another one a split decision defeat in September 2017.
Now, Valentina Shevchenko is expected to meet Liz Carmouche, who defeated her by TKO in 2010, in a rematch for the flyweight title at UFC Fight Night 156, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on August 10.