The MMA world has been buzzing ever since Ronda Rousey stepped back onto the mats in the past few months, posting training clips that sent fans into a frenzy and reignited rumors of a comeback nearly a decade after her last UFC fight. The timing couldn’t be more dramatic. The women’s bantamweight division is searching for a spark. The UFC is entering a new $7.7 billion broadcasting era.

And Valentina Shevchenko, fresh off tying Amanda Nunes’ record with her 11th UFC title-fight win at UFC 322, is still arguably the most dominant female fighter alive. So when ‘The Bullet’ joined The Ariel Helwani Show recently, it was only natural that the conversation shifted toward the possibility of a blockbuster Shevchenko vs. Rousey fight. But instead of jumping at the fantasy matchup, the reigning flyweight queen offered a far more grounded take.

Valentina Shevchenko is not keen on Ronda Rousey fight now, but offers advice for her comeback

When Helwani asked whether Rousey might actually be coming back, Shevchenko didn’t dismiss the idea as she pointed out, “A lot of training from her lately, like people commenting about. Why not? Why not? She’s still young and she’s, if she feels she can do that, it’s definitely will be good for the sport.”

But when the veteran journalist pushed harder, asking if this would be a dream fight, Shevchenko shut down the idea with cool pragmatism, “I don’t think so at this moment. Like years ago, it would be more sense, but at this moment, this point of my life, her life, I don’t think it makes sense.”

Her reasoning came from experience, 32 years of it. She explained that even her longest layoff lasted under a year. ‘Rowdy’ by comparison, has been gone for eight. But despite her hesitation for the so-called ‘superfight’, Valentina Shevchenko did have a crucial piece of advice if the former champion decides to step back into the cage.

According to ‘The Bullet’ in the conversation with Ariel Helwani, “I would say exactly, before you come back on the same level like she competed, Ronda competed in the highest top level, before she come back at this level, if it would be me, I would do like several fights like lower level just to get back in the shape, in the same competition mood to feel this pressure in fighting.”

Ronda Rousey’s recent surge of training has sparked speculation because she hasn’t shown interest in competing since retiring in 2017 and shifting to WWE and after that, motherhood. Still, the timing is uncanny as in her training clips, Rousey is in great shape at 38. The UFC White House card looms in 2026, and even Dana White admitted a while back, “She’s just had another baby, and she’s in great shape right now. She’s frigging ripped like she used to be.”

That’s why Valentina Shevchenko’s perspective carries weight, because she has remained active, dominant, and sharp. Her dismantling of Zhang Weili at UFC 322 showed she hasn’t slowed down at 37. She’s still the gold standard, technically flawless, tactically brilliant, and nearly impossible to hit clean. But if not ‘Rowdy’, who else is in her crosshairs next?

‘The Bullet’ lists out her future plans with a focus on Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison

Fresh off her masterclass against Zhang Weili, Valentina Shevchenko suddenly has more options than almost any champion in the sport. And she knows it. While fans debate trilogies, super fights, and legacy, ‘The Bullet’ is quietly evaluating what comes next. So who stands at the front of the line?

For starters, Shevchenko didn’t hide the fact that a move to bantamweight is very much on the table at the post-fight press conference. The idea isn’t new, fans have been clamoring for it for years, but this time it feels tangible. When asked about her future, she admitted, “I think it’s one of the possibilities (bantamweight), and I consider that, it’s kind of like, for now, I want to take care of injuries that I have, that [have been] kind of migrating from training camp to training camp with me [laughs].”

So conversations with her team will begin after a brief recovery. And once those conversations begin? That’s when things get interesting. Shevchenko laid out the names herself, with, “I feel there are good challengers in flyweight as well; Erin [Blanchfield], Natalia [Silva], and bantamweight, now we have Amanda [Nunes] or Kayla [Harrison]. “

Nunes, who beat Shevchenko twice in razor-close fights, has hinted at a return and is reportedly expected to face Kayla Harrison next year. Shevchenko acknowledged that fans would “love to see Amanda trilogy because it was unfinished business,” but she also questioned the uncertainty around Nunes’ comeback.

That’s where Kayla Harrison enters the picture. Shevchenko called her “one of the possibilities” and, more importantly, “another super challenge.” As such, while the MMA world may be dreaming of a Ronda Rousey return, Shevchenko refuses to get swept up in nostalgia. She respects the idea, applauds the effort, and even encourages ‘Rowdy’ to ease back in with lower-level tests. But when it comes to her own path, ‘The Bullet’ is clearly focused on challenges that exist in the present, not in the past!