After transitioning successfully down to the 125-pound division last month, former bantamweight title contender Valentina Shevchenko is focused on capturing the flyweight title later this year.
Shevchenko (15-3) is coming off an impressive submission victory over Priscila Cachoeira in Belem, Brazil, in her flyweight debut while earning a performance of the night bonus.
The Peruvian recently posted on Twitter a picture of the current flyweight rankings and suggested she’d like to face the current champion Nicco Montano at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9.
Waiting on the date for my next fight.
Would be happy to come back to Chicago again ! #UFC225 June 9 #Chicago #125 #FightForTheBelt @danawhite @ufc @Mickmaynard2 pic.twitter.com/zdZKpkC93E— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) March 5, 2018
Shevchenko has fond memories of fighting in Chicago at the United Center, where she defeated former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm in a five round fight.
The flyweight belt in the women’s division was only introduced in May last year. The current champion, Nicco Montano, won the belt after successfully navigating her way through “The Ultimate Fighter 26” series before a December fight against veteran Roxanne Modafferi for the title. After capturing the belt over five rounds, it was revealed that Montano went into the fight with a broken foot. She is currently recovering from the injury now and hopes to be back inside the Octagon later this year.
While the UFC has not made an official decision for the UFC Chicago main card, current middleweight champion Robert Whittaker recently turned to social media to challenge Yoel Romero to a rematch in Chicago.