White explains how Shevchenko vs. Eubanks selected for UFC 230
Dana White: “Eubanks, if she’d have made weight, she’d have been the champion or at least fought for the championship.”
The UFC women’s flyweight title has been batted around some.
Nicco Montano, then 3-2, entered The Ultimate Fighter 26 coming off a loss for the HD MMA women’s bantamweight belt, and made it to the finals where she was supposed to fight Sijara Eubanks, also 3-2. Eubanks was hospitalized during her weight cut, so Roxanne Modafferi stepped up, and Montano won the belt. Then Montano was hospitalized during her weight cut for a title challenge from Valentina Shevchenko, and the UFC stripped the belt.
Then former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk was scheduled to fight Shevchenko for the vacant belt at UFC 231 on December 8. Then UFC 230 on November 3 at Madison Square Garden needed a main event title fight, and Jedrzejczyk apparently couldn’t get ready in time, so now Shevchenko fights Eubanks for the vacant belt. UFC president Dana White spoke recently with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, explained the league’s reasoning.
Because we moved it sooner, Joanna wasn’t ready for that fight, said White, as transcribed by Tristen Critchfield for Sherdog. Valentina doesn’t care. This girl will fight tomorrow. She wants to fight every month.
We made sure that Eubanks was on weight. So Sijara is close to weight and Valentina is a beast and wanted this fight. It’s a fun fight.
And it is not determined whether Jedrzejczyk will challenge the winner Shevchenko vs. Eubanks.
It’ll be up to her,” said White. “We’ll see what Joanna wants to do. If she wants to do that, we’ll do it. Eubanks, if she’d have made weight, she’d have been the champion or at least fought for the championship. And there’s no doubt Valentina is the baddest girl around at 125 right now. It was the fight to make. I’m just glad we could pull it off this soon.
Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz – which will not be at 165 – currently sits in the co-main spot, but White indicated the event is not finalized.
We’re still working on fights for that card,” he said.
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