Following her emphatic victory over Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247, Valentina Shevchenko is in need of her next challenger. She mentioned Joanne Calderwood post-fight, and here’s why this fight should happen, possibly at UFC Glasgow in the summer.
Worthy Challenger
Calderwood current sits #3 in the current UFC flyweight rankings. The two girls above her, Katlyn Chookagian and Jessica Eye are two of Shevchenko’s most recent victims. Calderwood’s last outing was a split-decision victory over Andrea Lee, bouncing back after a controversial loss to Chookagian.
Calderwood has earned her chance at UFC gold, however, a title eliminator bout with Jennifer Maia or Lauren Murphy is still possible. If the timeline fits, there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be next for Shevchenko.
Why UFC Glasgow?
The UFC have provisionally booked the SSE Hydro for July 2020. This is the same arena and the same weekend as the previous two Glasgow events. With a possible Glasgow card, it is almost certain Calderwood will be fighting given she is able that weekend.
The UFC have also proved their willingness to have Shevchenko defend her title on International “fight night” cards. She headlined the UFC’s debut show in Uruguay last year, possibly perceived as a fitting headliner given her South American links.
The promotion also first attempted to book her fight with Jessica Eye in Prague earlier that year according to her manager, Roger Allen. Eye declined due to teeth issues, but this proves the UFC have no issue with Shevchenko fighting in Europe.
All in all, European cards tend to be headlined by Europeans themselves, and Joanne Calderwood will of course appeal to the local fans. Better yet, a title fight is always a worthy headliner in the eyes of the UFC.
This, of course, depends on whether the Octagon is brought to Scotland for the third time or not. With two successful evenings already in the books for the UFC in Glasgow, they have an ideal high profile fight that will appeal to the local masses on a stage they’ve proven to deem worthy. It is certainly plausible that we see Shevchenko and Calderwood fight this summer in Glasgow, Scotland.
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