Shevchenko dropping to 125

Valentina Shevchenko appeared recently on Submission Radio for the first time and discussed her controversial Split Decision loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 215, and what’s next.

“Now I’m thinking to move to 125, and I think more probably my next fight it will be in this division 125,” she said. “Because 125 is like much closer weight for me, it’s my real weight category, and even at like 135 I feel comfortable and I feel like 125 I will be able to use all my techniques and all my skills because I will fight with the same-sized opponents as me.

125 is like my weight, it’s my natural weight. Just a little bit of cutting and it will be everything perfect. Because, in my Muay Thai fights I was fighting every time at 125, [except] just like the last year I was moving a little bit up in weight class, it was 130. So I feel very comfortable at 125. And even at 125, we can have like opponents very tall, but of course, it will be the same physical conditions, the same head, the same size arms and everything, the same like mine.

I’m not cutting weight for 135. For example, when I’m not training and when I don’t do nothing my weight is around 138, 137.

“When this weight class was created, flyweight, 125, it was like, okay, it’s now weight class like my real weight division, but I never thought like an option for 125 because it wasn’t this female weight division in the UFC, and I knew that 115 I won’t be there and 135 I feel comfortable and I can fight there. That’s why I was not thinking about flyweight division because it was not [in existence]. But when it was created, then I received a lot of questions, ‘Are you considering to moving down to the weight class.’ But in that moment I was thinking more about my title fight that was already scheduled. But now I have time to think for 125

If Valentina has plans to eventually come back up to 135 and becoming dual-weight champion

It’s still on my plans to go back and fight against Amanda again. And from the next time, not give any chance to make this like this decision that was made a few days ago. And of course it’s on my mind and I still want it. Not right now, not in the near future, but I definitely it will happen.

Shevchenko was asked how far off from a title shot at 125 she is.

Very not far,” she said with a laugh. “Not far at all.