Retaking her title at UFC 306 from her nemesis, Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko is now back on top of the flyweight division. Heading into 2025, the current pound-for-pound queen of women’s MMA will look to begin another dominant reign at 125 lbs. However, while she does have several opponents available to her in her weight class, the door to move up and pursue further greatness is also there should she wish to test herself.
Now, let’s take a look at who Valentina Shevchenko should fight next.
Alexa Grasso
After coaching The Ultimate Fighter 32 against each other, Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso finally faced off in their much-anticipated trilogy bout in the co-main event of UFC 306. It was not a great night for the defending champion, Grasso, who had absolutely no answer for the suffocating grappling style of Shevchenko. Racking up over 16 minutes of control time throughout the 25-minute bout, “Bullet” easily cruised her way to a unanimous decision win, earning perfect scores on all three judges’ scorecards.
Although she seemingly put her rivalry with Grasso to bed following their clash in Las Vegas, the door for a potential fourth fight is always open if these two want to settle their rivalry. Considering the lack of high-profile female fighter trilogies in the history of the sport, a fourth and final meeting between these two world-class competitors would be a defining moment in the legacy of the flyweight class.
Manon Fiorot
Riding a massive 12 fight winning streak, France’s Manon Fiorot’s rise in the UFC has been nothing short of meteoric. Defeating the who’s who of the division like Jennifer Maia, Katlyn Cerminara, Erin Blanchfield, and Rose Namajunas, “The Beast” has positioned herself as a clear top contender for the flyweight throne.
For the first assignment of her second reign, Shevchenko would definitely have her hands full against the French powerhouse. Having gone the distance in her past five contests (including a main event showing), Fiorot has demonstrated a superb gas tank and technical striking ability. Renowned for her endurance and stand up game as well, Shevchenko will be facing an opponent who possesses some of the same top-notch skills that she has.
Julianna Peña
During her first stay atop the flyweight rankings, Shevchenko amassed a sterling seven consecutive title defenses. Throughout most of those bouts, she faced hardly any kind of adversity, bulldozing her way past some of the best 125-lb. fighters on the planet with ease. While she does have some noteworthy challengers her division already lined up for her, a super fight with UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña stands as a big fight to make for “Bullet.”
The last time Shevchenko fought at 135 lbs. was in a losing attempt at seizing the division’s belt against Amanda Nunes in 2017. Since then, she has improved by leaps and bounds as a martial artist, logging a legendary career as a dominant champion. It remains to be seen how well she’ll compete now going ten pounds up versus a tenacious fighter like Peña, but should she capture that second belt, her place as an icon in combat sports is all but guaranteed.
