Valentina Shevchenko Invites "Logical" Trilogy With Amanda Nunes

 

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC

At flyweight, dominant force, Valentina 'Bullet' Shevchenko has been so-far unmatched - scoring an incredible three-consecutive successful title defences. At bantamweight, and featherweight, Amanda 'The Lioness' Nunes has scored a combined six successful title knockbacks.

Shevchenko is currently booked to take co-headlining honours at UFC 255 in November, looking to score another successful title defence as she draws former Invicta FC champion, Jennifer Maia. For Bahia favourite, Nunes, she's scheduled to main event UFC 256 in December, at 145-pounds against another former Invicta FC best, Megan Anderson.

The pair have twice clashed at bantamweight, with the Brazilian scoring two decision victories, the second coming in quite close, contentious fashion. As noted above, Shevchenko and Nunes have cleaned out their respective ranks of challengers so far, and according to the former, a trilogy clash is a hugely "logical" matchup before it's all said and done.

"I think it (trilogy fight) would be logical," Shevchenko said during an interview on Hablemos MMA recently. "She's (Amanda Nunes) been going through her opponents very easily, and I think that for the future, it would be logical to have a third fight because the second fight... I didn't lose it. I won it."

Shevchenko, who's dropped just three professional defeats, two to Nunes, and an earlier loss to former flyweight and bantamweight title challenger, Liz Carmouche - which she avenged recently, noted the close nature of her UFC 215 defeat to Nunes in a 47-48, and a 48-47 (x2) judging.

The Kyrgyzstan ace has scored successful title defences against Jessica Eye, the above-mentioned, Carmouche, and Katlyn Chookagian, and believes whoever has the duty of judging a potential third pairing of herself and Nunes will take a different look at the tie, especially if both enter the clash as titleholders.

"This fight right now, as champion vs. champion, I think the judges will have a different outlook towards the fight," Shevchenko detailed. "Three years ago in 2017 when we had our fight, they thought that just that one thing gave her the victory, and that was the takedown she got in the fifth round. She didn't even start it - it was me who initiated. But since it was the final round, we were both slippery. She's heavier, so I ended on bottom when I was supposed to land on top."

"That's the only thing that gave her a small advantage in the eyes of the judges that night," Shevchenko told. "But that's how it went down, and I think it would be very logical to have that third fight between us."