Two of the most talented strikers in women’s MMA will square off for the vacant flyweight title at UFC 231, as Joanna Jedrzejczyk looks for a second belt against Valentina Shevchenko.
Dana White announced the UFC 231 bout (possibly co-main event) on ESPN’s Sportscenter.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Valentina Shevchenko are very familiar with each other, facing off three times in the Muay Thai ring, with Shevchenko winning by decision each time. Joanna went on to rule the UFC’s strawweight division, while Valentina excelled at 135 pounds. In December, they will meet in the middle to crown a new flyweight champion after Nicco Montano was stripped of the belt.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk was once one of the most dominant champions in the UFC, defending her strawweight title five times before dropping two consecutive bouts to Rose Namajunas. The Polish striker was able to rebound with a decision victory over Tecia Torres in July. Now with 10 fewer pounds to cut, we may see peak Joanna due to the absence of her notoriously tough weight cut. Jedrzejczyk was a flyweight for the first five fights of her career before entering the Octagon for the first time in 2014.
Valentina Shevchenko is a counter-striking specialist who was always undersized during her title-challenging run at bantamweight. The Peruvian made an emphatic flyweight debut by dominating Priscilla Cachoeira in February. The victory earned Valentina a title shot, but Nicco Montano’s weight cut went haywire and the two were unable to meet. As a result, Montano was stripped and now the belt is up for grabs.
The main event of UFC 231 is expected to be between Max Holloway and Brian Ortega for the featherweight title. The event itself takes place on December 8 from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Claudia Gadelha looks to stop the rise of Nina Ansaroff, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier attempts to rebound against Gilbert Burns.
