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Writer's pictureMark Myword

Amanda Nunes doubts the Valentina Shevchenko trilogy to happen soon



Amanda Nunes, the dominant two-division champion of the UFC women's division, has expressed doubts about the possibility of a trilogy fight with Valentina Shevchenko. The sentiment arises particularly because Shevchenko recently lost her UFC women's flyweight title to Alexa Grasso a couple of months ago.


During a pre-fight news conference for UFC 289, Nunes was asked about the likelihood of facing Shevchenko for a third time. She responded with skepticism, stating:


"I have a lot of noise at 135, and I don't think the UFC is going to stop and then go back with the Valentina thing. That don't sell nothing."


Nunes and Shevchenko have a history, having fought twice before in 2016 and 2017, with Nunes emerging victorious on both occasions. However, there is an ongoing debate about the outcome of their second fight, as many believe that Shevchenko did enough to win, sparking interest in a potential third meeting.


Shevchenko, known for her impressive title defense streak in the UFC women's division, suffered a setback when Grasso submitted her in the co-main event of UFC 285 in March. While this surprised some, Nunes was not taken aback by the result.


“I was not surprised,” Nunes said. “I fought Valentina when she was in her prime, and we were both growing. Last fight, we were both growing as a fighter. Valentina has a lot of holes that I can see. I wasn’t able to do back then, but I see how Alexa Grasso would be able to finish her.”


Nunes, with an impressive record of 22 wins and 5 losses, is now focused on defending her women's bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289. Interestingly, Aldana is a teammate of Grasso, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming event, which will take place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.


The potential super fight between Nunes and Shevchenko was once a highly anticipated matchup in the world of MMA. However, given Shevchenko's recent loss and Nunes' busy schedule, it appears that the chances of a trilogy fight between these two formidable fighters are diminishing.


As fight fans eagerly await the outcome of Nunes vs. Aldana at UFC 289, they must come to terms with the possibility that the Nunes-Shevchenko trilogy might remain nothing more than a dream. Nonetheless, with the ever-changing landscape of MMA, anything can happen, and surprises are never far away.

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