Valentina Shevchenko is on the cusp of a sweep of the women’s flyweight division, but perennial contender Katlyn Chookagian will be looking to use her technical prowess to score the upset at UFC 247.
The flyweight queen is back! 👑@BulletValentina #UFC247 pic.twitter.com/asOPW03SY5
— UFC (@ufc) January 31, 2020
What a time to be an MMA fan, where a champion as dominant as “Bullet” Valentina Shevchenko came in second for Female Fighter of the Year honors. Like an encore performance of her 2018 campaign, her two outings in 2019 saw her wrap a vice-grip around the flyweight division. She opened with arguably the most vicious knockout in women’s MMA history with her head-kick knockout over Jessica Eye in her first title defense. Just two months later, she defeated top contender Liz Carmouche in a one-sided affair.
Her next opponent is a perennial contender who has carved a workmanlike path to the title and is widely considered one of the most consistent fighters in the division. She also provides arguably a crucial final step for Shevchenko. A victory over Chookagian would leave no clear top contender in sight. In all likelihood, it could set-up a trilogy with current two-division powerhouse Amanda Nunes. Both women have had a laser focus on the challenges in front of them and not spoken much of the other, but on Sunday they could once again find themselves without a more formidable challenge than each other.
Of course, Shevchenko’s dominance has set the stage for Katlyn Chookagian to pull off an upset of titanic proportions. A look at her record in context will suggest she is a far more formidable opponent than many give credit for at first glance. Her UFC run has seen her record victories over fellow flyweight contender Joanne Calderwood, current bantamweight stand-out Irene Aldana, and former Invicta champion Jennifer Maia. Chookagian has only two losses, the first to former title challenger Carmouche at bantamweight prior to the opening of the flyweight division, the second a split-decision loss to Jessica Eye in a title eliminator.
"She's just so good at getting out of the range of her opponents."
Learn more about @BlondeFighter before Saturday night! #UFC247 pic.twitter.com/7RC4lvlYCi
— UFC (@ufc) February 6, 2020
How did a fighter who has been so consistent take so long to reach this point? Timing has a part to play. Of the many female fighters who found stardom in the UFC, Chookagian did not come up through Invicta where many had early exposure. When The Ultimate Fighter featured women’s flyweights competing for the inaugural title, she required surgery to fix a torn labrum. Just days out from the fight however, Chookagian will now finally have her opportunity on the big stage to show the limits of her talents.
Stylistically, the biggest challenge facing Chookagian is the speed and athleticism of Shevchenko. The champion is perhaps the best female fighter in the world at getting in-and-out with accuracy and has used it to devastate several opponents throughout her career. A victory for Chookagian centers on her ability to stay tie-up Shevchenko and punish her against the fence where the champion’s striking is neutralized. In the middle of the Octagon, the “Blonde Fighter” will need to deliver a high output and avoid the counters of the champion. For “Bullet,” wearing down the challenger with leg-kicks and shots to the body will slow her down and create opportunities to possibly land a fight-ending shot.
FACE-TO-FACE!
For flyweight gold 🏆 #UFC247 pic.twitter.com/wdyaEGmBL4
— UFC (@ufc) February 6, 2020
Opponents like Joanne Calderwood and Roxanne Modafferi stand out as possible candidates for Shevchenko should she get past Chookagian. While neither particularly galvanize the fan base at this time, they stand out for a champion who has dispatched those ahead of them in less than two years in the division. A Chookagian upset figures to set up an immediate rematch and serve the double-purpose of building up the next challenger in the interim.
