America’s only UFC champion, Kayla Harrison, told Jorge Masvidal this week that she hopes to face the winner of the upcoming UFC 322 women’s flyweight title fight at the UFC White House. “In my perfect world, either Valentina beats Weili and then we do a… USA vs. Russia fight,” Harrison said. At UFC 322, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight title against former strawweight champion Zhang Weili, who is moving up to the flyweight division after vacating her title.

Meanwhile, Kayla Harrison had been pushing for the same decisive opportunity from Shevchenko, a move that put the entire MMA world on high alert, including the champion herself. With UFC 322 only a week away from this Saturday, plans for next year’s UFC White House event are still being finalized. The media had been pressing the Peruvian star for her response to Harrison’s callout, and finally, hours later, the flyweight champion broke her silence.

Valentina Shevchenko reacts to potential showdown with Kayla Harrison

Since Amanda Nunes retired, the UFC women’s bantamweight division has struggled to maintain big-name stars, while the male divisions continue to dominate the spotlight. However, Kayla Harrison’s UFC debut last year reignited interest in the division; the former PFL champion earned back-to-back wins, even though the division still lacks top-tier opponents. So, her search has brought her to Valentina Shevchenko, a challenge that ‘Bullet’ has openly acknowledged while speaking with MMA Junkie.

She also pointed out that Harrison mentioned fighters like Amanda Nunes and Ronda Rousey, but they have already retired several years ago. Shevchenko also went on to comment on her potential match against Kayla Harris, “Yeah, Kayla is a very good fighter, a very good athlete, very strong, physically strong, and definitely it would be a great fight.”

With that being said, Valentina Shevchenko chose not to dwell on that potential matchup, focusing instead on her upcoming fight against Zhang Weili at Madison Square Garden. “But I’m not looking past my fight. You know me, you know I focus every time on the challenge in front of me.” The Peruvian star added that she will revisit the UFC White House fight discussion after UFC 322. “We can come back to this question after the fight.”

Before moving down to flyweight, Valentina Shevchenko competed in the bantamweight division, facing top fighters like Amanda Nunes and Juliana Peña. However, ‘Bullet’ struggled to achieve significant success there. Then, in 2018, she dropped to flyweight, and since that move, she has dominated the division, becoming a two-time flyweight champion and the current titleholder.

Now, Shevchenko’s impressive resume has caught the attention of Kayla Harrison. The 135-pound champ fought only once this year, and the Peruvian phenom prepares to ‘welcome’ Amanda Nunes, who is coming out of retirement, in her next fight against a former champion. This fight is on the “horizon” with the latest update.

Shevchenko reveals what motivated her “only” return to the bantamweight division

Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight career includes just two losses, with her only defeat in the division coming from Alexa Grasso. However, she settled that unfinished business in the trilogy and also dethroned the Mexican champion. Meanwhile, in the bantamweight division, ‘Bullet’ still has unfinished business, as her sole losses there came at the hands of Amanda Nunes.

A few years ago, Valentina Shevchenko planned to move up specifically to challenge Nunes, but her goal remained incomplete when Nunes retired in 2023. Now, with Nunes set to return, her next fight is on the horizon against Kayla Harrison. If Nunes defeats Harrison, it could then pave the way for a Shevchenko vs. Nunes trilogy.

Speaking about it in an interview with MMA Junkie, Shevchenko revealed, “For a long time, (Nunes) was the only reason why I would return to 135, It was just one name, unfinished business what I had with Amanda. When she retired, I lost interest for that, and now, let’s see. The rumor is that she’s un-retired, but let’s see if it’s a reality.”

What do you think about Valentina Shevchenko’s plans to return to bantamweight? Could she make her skills count against Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes if she moves up to 135? Share your thoughts below.