The pound for pound best female fighter in the world has her next fight scheduled. UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (22-3) will be returning in June when she takes on Taila Santos (19-1). MMA Fighting was the first outlet to report the booking.
The fight is expected to take place at UFC 275 on June 11th. This is a massive opportunity for Santos who will come into this title shot riding a four-fight win streak. The first time UFC fans were introduced to Santos was on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Santos won her fight which earned herself a contract. Now, she would go on to lose her UFC debut by split decision. However, she hasn’t lost since. Starting with Molly McCann, Santos went on a run that put her in this position.
Her last two performances have really showed fans a lot. She was able to take out Roxanne Modafferi and the tough Joanne Wood. Given the fact that Shevchenko has ran through the flyweight division and Santos is a fresh opponent with a winning streak, the UFC decided to give her a shot.
Another UFC ruby for the queen?
You could easily make the argument that skill-for-skill, Valentina is the best fighter in the UFC period. Whether male or female, Valentina Shevchenko is really that good. The flyweight champion is not only the best, but she’s been head and shoulders better than her competition.
When the UFC created the flyweight division, it was made with Shevchenko is mind. Many thought she would immediately rise to the top and capture UFC gold. That’s exactly what she did and she’s held onto the flyweight title for over three years now and defended the title six times.
In her last fight, she took on Lauren Murphy at UFC 266. She completely ran through Murphy and stopped her in the fourth round. It was Shevchenko’s fourth finish in her last six wins. It’s crazy to say, but every time we see Shevchenko, she’s even better and I’m sure she’s going to be the best version of herself when she takes on the tough Taila Santos in June.