Former UFC fighter willing to bet 'all his cash' on Valentina Shevchenko losing her belt within the next year
Valentina Shevchenko is one of the most dominant female champions the UFC has ever seen. However, in her last fight against Taila Santos, she barely edged past her opponent, winning via split decision in a result that many disagreed with.
Now, in an interview with The Schmo, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub has insisted that Shevchenko's dominance is coming to an end. With that in mind, he predicted that an unbeaten UFC star returning to action will dethrone her:
"There you go, I would be willing to bet all my cash, I would bet on Tatiana Suarez beating [the] champ within the next year."
Tatiana Suarez is an unbeaten UFC fighter who last fought back in June 2019 at UFC 238, where she beat Nina Nunes via unanimous decision. The impressive strawweight then had to sideline herself due to persistent injuries to her neck and knees.
However, Suarez is set to make a return at flyweight in 2023, looking to finish what she started almost four years ago.
Schaub believes Tatiana Suarez is someone who can dethrone Valentina Shevchenko if she fights her this year.
TATIANA SUAREZ IS RETURNING IN 2023!!!
the best unknown fighter that you might not know about! has a win over former champ Carla Esparza 👀 https://t.co/B8u2YG01YN
Take a look at the interview (Quotes from 5:20 onwards):
Valentina Shevchenko blames her inactivity in 2022 on not being able to find opponents
Valentina Shevchenko had just one fight in 2022, which she narrowly won on scorecards. Despite her inactivity, the flyweight champion claims to have been 'itching' to fight.
In an interview with the UFC, she spoke about how it was hard for her to find opponents who were ready to fight her:
"I wanted to fight in December, but it’s my understanding that it was hard to find an opponent. I’m just here, training all the time, almost every day, waiting for the call. I’ve been ready since I don’t know — since September?"
She added:
“I want to fight frequently, but I realize this is a problem for the UFC to find opponents in order for me to fight frequently. My understanding is that everyone would love to fight for a title, so what’s happening with you girls? Why so quiet?”
Valentina Shevchenko will be looking to increase her activity in 2023. Before 2022, the champion fought twice in every calendar year since joining the UFC. Shevchenko looks to become 'the best' female fighter the sport has seen.
