Just nine weeks after successfully defending her flyweight title for the first time, Shevchenko returns in search of a second consecutive successful title defense and a measure of revenge against Carmouche, the woman who handed her the first loss of her MMA career.
Since arriving in the UFC in the final month of 2015, the 31-year-old champion has proven herself to be one of the top female fighters on the planet, amassing a 6-2 record inside the Octagon, with each of her losses coming in close, competitive bouts against reigning bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes.
Shevchenko has been masterful in her three starts in the 125-pound weight class, sandwiching her championship victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, where she received 49-46 scores across the board against the former strawweight queen, between devastating second-round stoppage wins over Priscila Cachoeira and Jessica Eye.
The first woman to cross the threshold into the Octagon, Carmouche has now been a Top 10 fixture in two divisions during the course of her six-plus years competing in the UFC. After dropping her divisional debut against Alexis Davis by split decision, the powerhouse has muscled her way to decision wins over former Invicta FC champ Jennifer Maia and durable up and comer Lucie Pudilova in order to position herself atop the list of available contenders in the flyweight division.
Their first encounter took place so long ago that it’s difficult to consider it instructive, as both have gained copious amounts of experience and improved significantly in the time since. However, this remains an intriguing clash of styles, as Shevchenko is at her best operating in space and working as a counter-striker, while Carmouche prefers to close the distance, use her strength in the clinch and control opponents on the canvas.
Will the heavily favored champion retain her title and continue her reign of dominance or will Carmouche make the most of her second chance to capture UFC gold from a seemingly unstoppable force inside the Octagon?
