Valentina Shevchenko makes weight ahead of UFC 255.
Valentina Shevchenko wants Jessica Andrade or Lauren Murphy soon
Valentina Shevchenko lost a round to Jennifer Maia on Saturday night at UFC 255 and that was rare. However despite dropping the second round, Shevchenko still won about 22 of the 25 minute contest.
Now that Shevchenko has denied another challenger, the dominate champ is already looking at doing it again.
Shevchenko missed some time this year dealing with a MCL injury which required surgery. Since she was inactive during the middle of this year, she wants to fight again quickly against either Jessica Andrade or Lauren Murphy.
“I don’t choose my opponents,” Shevchenko said in her post-fight press conference. “Whoever will be in front of me (is) who I’m going to face. For me, it doesn’t (make) any difference – Andrade or someone else, someone else, or whoever. I think it would be fair to have Andrade vs. Lauren Murphy because Lauren Murphy showed her strengths and has a lot of wins – like, straight wins.”
The only thing Shevchenko fears is that the UFC will make Andrade and Murphy fight to determine a No.1 contender because Shevchenko doesn’t want to sit out and wait.
“But the question (is) if I want to wait that much, Shevchenko. “I don’t want to wait that much because I was waiting a lot already and I’m not agreeing to wait more (for) their fight (to happen) and (for when) they have to recover. It’s going to be a few months from here. I’m ready to go back to the octagon as soon as I feel good and I feel good.”
Andrade (21-8) is a former strawweight champion and she is the only woman in UFC history to post wins in three different weight classes. She made her flyweight debut last month when she finished former flyweight title challenger Katlyn Chookagian in the first round.
Murphy (14-4) has been making her way through the flyweight division and is currently on a four-fight winning streak. She also recored a victory last month when she submitted Lilya Shakirova at UFC 254.
Whoever is next will try to do what no UFC has done at 125 pounds and that is to beat Shevchenko. Last night marked Shevchenko’s fourth flyweight title defense.
