"Everything is possible" - Valentina Shevchenko discusses potentially moving down to strawweight
Valentina Shevchenko returns to the octagon to defend the UFC women's flyweight championship for the seventh time at UFC 275 on June 11. 'Bullet' will take on Taila Santos, who is a well-rounded, powerful title challenger. Before fighting at UFC 275, the women's flyweight champion discussed a future move to strawweight.
Shevchenko started her UFC career at bantamweight, where she went 3-2 with both losses coming against Amanda Nunes. 'Bullet' made the switch to flyweight in 2018 and won all eight fights in the division.
All hail the P4P Queen 👸
[ @BulletValentina | #UFC275 | Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/3PwHI7y ] https://t.co/84N2rPsx1L
With a win against Santos, the champion will have cleared out the women's flyweight division. During a UFC fan Q&A, Shevchenko was asked about moving down to strawweight and she responded by saying:
"Yeah, it's gonna be interesting proposal. Going to strawweight means you have a serious cut weight, but it doesn't mean it's impossible. Being a professional, you have to consider, if you cut too much weight to strawweight, how are you going to fight at bantamweight?... Everything is possible."
Going back up to bantamweight would mean a series of rematches against Julianna Pena, Amanda Nunes, and Holly Holm. Meanwhile, the strawweight division offers a chance to have a size advantage and become a two-division champion.
Before considering any weight changes, Shevchenko needs to win at UFC 275. A lot of people in the MMA world are underestimating Santos and not giving her a chance. Although 'Bullet' should be able to pull off the win, overlooking your opponent is never a good idea.
Watch the Q&A with Valentina Shevchenko below:
Valentina Shevchenko is not overlooking Taila Santos
Shevchenko continues to dominate the women's flyweight division because of her ability to make calculated decisions inside and outside the cage. Underestimating Santos would be a mistake and uncharacteristic of the champion. During the same Q&A, the champion stated that her focus is on UFC 275 by saying:
"Let's not move too much forward. Let's focus on Saturday's defense. For me, this is the most important. I'm not letting myself think about everything else before I make this step and get this victory."
Hearing 'Bullet' talk about her focus being on UFC 275 is satisfying news for her fans. Santos is a dangerous fighter, and she's ready to do whatever it takes to become a champion. Shevchenko needs to do what she does best and stay calm until she can figure out her opponent's flaws and exploit them in the later rounds.
The P4P Queen takes on the division’s top prospect 🤜🤛
@BulletValentina vs @TailaSa60780340
[ #UFC275 | Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/3PwHI7y ] https://t.co/mK3zTKIFpJ