UFC 316 is all about the bantamweights in the division, as both the men’s and women’s titles will be up for grabs. Julianna Pena will be making the first title defense of her combined two reigns as 135 lbs queen against former Olympic gold medalist, Kayla Harrison. Meanwhile, there have been rumors about the winner going on to face former double champion Amanda Nunes, who’s teased about coming back from retirement.

But while there’s been talk about Amanda Nunes making her return, there’s another fighter that Kayla Harrison and Julianna Pena may need to worry about. Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who started out her UFC run as a bantamweight, also welcomed a move to the 135 lbs division in the future. ‘Bullet’ seems to be interested in a trilogy fight against Nunes, who is 2-0 up against the Kyrgyz star.

“Maybe [I’ll move to 135 lbs]. We will see that… If I move to 135 lbs, it’s gonna be only because of that [Amanda Nunes trilogy] maybe,” Valentina Shevchenko told ‘The Schmo’. However, she has her doubts because a lot has been said by Amanda Nunes, with multiple teases of a comeback. Unfortunately, nothing has materialized yet, and that is why ‘Bullet’ wants to wait and see how things pan out.

“Every time speaking, they are very masters of speaking. And they say, ‘Okay, I’m coming back from retirement. I do all the training’… It’s just speaking,” the flyweight champion added. “So [I’m] not gonna be gossiping. Let’s see the real action.”

Meanwhile, Valentina Shevchenko isn’t itching to make her bantamweight return so soon. In fact, she’s got some business left as a 125 lbs champ, and has eyes on a superfight with another champion, Zhang Weili. Here’s what she had to say about that matchup.

Valentina Shevchenko is open to fighting Zhang Weili

Valentina Shevchenko told The Schmo that she’s very impressed with what Zhang Weili has been able to achieve in her UFC career. Calling her a “true martial artist,” she said, “Weili, she’s like through the all her career showed that she’s a true martial artist. She deserve all this success.” ‘Bullet’ had previously claimed that she wants to allow the Chinese star to fight for the flyweight belt. “At this point, she deserves this fight. Everyone deserves it… I’m hearing from my fans this is what they want to see,” Shevchenko previously stated.

This matchup is not just a superfight because two champions are involved. This fight is also a battle of legacies, fighting styles, and, of course, Shevchenko and Weili’s global fan bases. But while she’s also teased a bantamweight move, Valentina Shevchenko hasn’t decided on what she wants to do next. For now, she’s focused on her recovery, and only time will tell what’s next for her.

Well, there is no sure-shot answer now as we wait to see how things pan out in the aftermath of UFC 316. As Kayla Harrison tries to win her first UFC title, Julianna Pena would be looking to earn the respect of the MMA community, which she claims he hasn’t yet. In the meantime, let us know what you think about Shevchenko potentially moving back to the 135 lbs division? Drop your comments below.