Valentina Shevchenko has spent years building her flyweight legacy, but after UFC 322, the story changed again. Beating Zhang Weili in the manner she did—clean, controlled, and unlike the conflict most expected—sent her back to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. It also reignited the issue that haunts every dominant champion: what’s left after you’ve defeated practically everyone?

Weili was meant to be a new puzzle, but ‘Bullet’ treated her like someone who may have outgrown the division. So rumors of new horizons spread quickly. Shevchenko is not ruling out another belt, rivalry, or defining battle. And one name, as always, sits at the center: Amanda Nunes. The greatest rivalry in women’s MMA may not be over just yet, as this time Nunes seeks to enter Shevchenko’s world.

Valentina Shevchenko welcomes Amanda Nunes for a trilogy title fight

When the idea came up, Shevchenko acted without hesitation. “Oh, let’s do it. Amanda, come on. 125. Yeah, let’s do it,” she told Ariel Helwani—no drama, just a champion with nothing to fear and nothing to prove but how far she can push her abilities. She even tossed Kayla Harrison‘s name into the mix, effectively urging anyone ready to make 125 to step forward.

The confidence wasn’t loud; it was quiet, earned over years of staying on top while everyone else falls around you. But ‘Bullet’ isn’t buying Nunes’ sudden arrogance. “She likes to talk a lot… she feels safe to speak now,” she stated further on the Ariel Helwani Show, pointing to Nunes’ strange limbo—half-retired, half-returning, and totally uncommitted.

From her perspective, that makes big promises easy. Until Nunes signs something, all this talk is just talk. Still, the idea of Nunes dropping to 125 is intriguing, especially because she claims she’ll beat Kayla Harrison and then take Shevchenko’s belt “for the collection.” For Valentina Shevchenko, though, this moment isn’t about past grudges; it’s about staying sharp at the top.

The win over Weili not only extended her reign but also tied Nunes’ record for the most female title fight victories. It also served as a reminder to everyone of how brutally she prepares. After all, she described this camp as one of the most difficult of her career, a never-ending grind designed for a war that never materialized. But now, she just might get the grueling fight she demands. But will it be against Nunes, Kayla Harrison, or someone completely different?

Valentina Shevchenko is not ruling out the “good challengers”

With her choices wide open following UFC 322, Valentina Shevchenko isn’t committing to one path. The trilogy with Amanda Nunes is on the table, a move to bantamweight is an option, and staying at flyweight for fresh contenders makes sense. She’s only seeking what’s real, not what is loudest.

‘Bullet’ said in the UFC 322 post-event press conference that once she recovers from the injuries she sustained during camp, she will sit down with her team to discuss the next steps. “There are good challengers in flyweight,” she noted, pointing to Erin Blanchfield and Natalia Silva, but she also recognized the appeal of bantamweight now that Kayla Harrison and a potentially returning Amanda Nunes are in the mix.

But ‘Bullet’ is not blind to the uncertainties. Fans may want the trilogy, but even she confesses no one knows what version of Nunes will appear, or whether she will ever return. ‘Doug,’ on the other hand, is a more obvious candidate and a significant challenge. And that is where Valentina Shevchenko’s attention is focused: on the challenges that actually make sense, not just the ones making noise.