“By textbook (definition), yeah, for sure,” Chookagian told UFC.com. “Everyone knows they have to kind of go through me to get the title, and I think, also, sometimes if (UFC) wants to promote someone for the title, they don’t want them to fight me, which is kind of flattering.
“I’d rather be the champ than the gatekeeper, but there’s people that are gatekeepers for the Top 10, and if I’m gatekeeping for the champion, that’s a better position. If I’m here, and I just keep winning, I’ll get my second chance.”
And winning is exactly what she has been doing for the last year-and-a-half, picking up wins over Cynthia Calvillo, Viviane Araújo and Jennifer Maia.
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Chookagian is as cemented as any Top 3 fighter in any division and sits tied with Shevchenko for the most wins in the division’s history with eight. That level of quality consistency is notable, and it’s a testament to her self-tabbed “obsession with the sport.”
Not only does that help her constantly improve her skills, but it gives her a foundational confidence that allows her to ride out the ebbs and flows of a fight camp.
