Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko looks to be putting up her gold on the line once again at UFC 275 on June 11.
Shevchenko will be facing off against the fifth ranked fighter in the division, Taila Santos. The title fight will most likely be the Co-Main Event to the light heavyweight championship fight between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka. According to MMAFighting, the contracts have yet to be signed, although it is booked for the event. The UFC is still looking for a venue for the event, but it is rumored to be in Singapore.
Valentina Shevchenko has held the flyweight belt since 2018 when she defeated Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 231
Shevchenko has successfully defended her flyweight title six straight times, with her most recent victory coming over “Lucky” Lauren Murphy. Shevchenko defeated Murphy via TKO in the fourth round of the fight this past September at UFC 266. Shevchenko has only lost two times in the UFC, both at bantamweight against Amanda Nunes.
Santos is a respectable 19-1 as a pro fighter inside the octagon. Her only professional loss came to Mara Romero Borella in a split decision fight in her first UFC bout. Since that loss Santos has won four straight fights over the likes of, Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson, Roxanne Modafferi, and Joanne Wood. Each win coming via unanimous decision with the exception of her win over Wood, which she won via Rear-Naked Choke.
Nunes who was known as the GOAT of her division, was recently dethroned by Julianna Pena who was a big favorite. Could MMA fans possibly see two living legends and the most dominant women fighters of al time go down in the span of a few months apart?
Do you think Shevchenko’s reign of terror will continue in the flyweight division?