If Holly Holm wants to reclaim the hot potato that is the UFC women’s bantamweight title belt, she’ll have to get past Valentina Shevchenko first.
Holm and Shevchenko highlight the main card at UFC Fight Night Chicago on Saturday night, and the winner might get a shot to fight for the belt against Amanda Nunes in the near future.
Holm, of course, won the bantamweight title at UFC 193, when she defeated Ronda Rousey. The belt changed hands quickly after that at UFC 196, when Holm lost to Miesha Tate via submission.
This will be Holm’s first fight since her loss to Tate, and she’s hoping a win over the Kyrgyzstani Shevchenko will pit her against Nunes for a chance to reclaim the belt.
Shevchenko’s last fight also was at UFC 196, when she lost to Nunes via submission. Shevchenko enters the fight with a 12-2 MMA record.
The Muay Thai expert will have a good shot to pull off an upset against Holm if she takes the fight to the mat. Holm struggled on the ground in her loss against Tate, and the former boxing champion is more successful when she’s standing.
Another notable match on Saturday’s main card is the lightweight bout between Edson Barboza and Gilbert Melendez.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
