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The 'Bullet' is currently preparing for her highly anticipated comeback. It appears that the UFC has fulfilled Valentina Shevchenko's desire for either Alexa Grasso or Manon Fiorot to be her opponent for her upcoming fight.
Shevchenko vs. Grasso will now be listed on UFC 285 on March 4, according to Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes, who broke the news on Wednesday. UFC 285 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
With a career record of 23-3, Shevchenko ranks among the most dominant female fighters in the history of the sport. At 135 pounds, she faced two-time champion Amanda Nunes and suffered her only two UFC defeats. Shevchenko, who fights out of Kyrgyzstan, has triumphed over well-known opponents including Holly Holm, Julianna Pea, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Jessica Andrade.
Shevchenko most recently competed at UFC 275, where she defeated Taila Santos by a split decision to add a seventh defense to her record. It was one of the many fights Shevchenko fans thought she lost. Most people concurred that she appeared the least dominant as champion, if for no other reason. The current UFC flyweight champion wished to fight again in December, but there wasn't any challenger available.
Grasso, a Mexican fighter who fights out of Guadalajara, has long been touted as being one of the sport's best female talents. At the age of 23, she joined the UFC and has since compiled a 7-3 record inside the Octagon. She receives her first shot at a title after winning four matches in a row since transitioning from strawweight to flyweight.
Grasso went up a division after losing to former strawweight champion Carla Esparza, and since then, she has defeated Ji Yeon Kim, Maycee Barber, Joanne Wood, and most recently, Viviane Araujo in her very first UFC main event this past October.
Before she accepted the chance to compete in the first championship, Grasso proposed she participates in one more main event. It looks like the UFC determined Shevchenko ought to be the next opponent.
The main event of UFC 285 is a heavyweight championship match between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane. The card now includes 12 announced contests, including Shevchenko vs. Grasso.
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane – for the vacant heavyweight title
Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso – for women’s flyweight title
Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Julio Arce vs. Cody Garbrandt
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez
Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti