Valentina Shevchenko ensured that the run of upsets in the UFC women's bantamweight division didn't stop at UFC on Fox 20 on Saturday.
The 28-year-old defied the odds against former champion Holly Holm, prevailing via unanimous decision in the main event at the United Center in Chicago.
Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting tweeted out the final scorecards:
Official: Valentina Shevchenko def. Holly Holm via UD (49-46 x 3).
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 24, 2016
Both strikers got off to a reserved start. The two established a slow pace that was punctuated only by a Holm knockdown on a right jab. Fox Sports tweeted the highlight:
Holm strikes first with a clean knockdown! #UFCChicago https://t.co/p6hdOhi0hh
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 24, 2016
A brief Shevchenko takedown gave the underdog some hope, but Holm reversed and worked to a clinched position against the cage. Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report gave the first round to Holm based on her volume:
10-9 Holm in the first. Her sheer size and greater volume are making the difference at this point, but it's close. #UFCChicago
— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) July 24, 2016
The clinch would continue to be an interesting aspect of the fight. Shevchenko is dangerous with her muay thai background, but Holm held the advantage there in the second frame.
Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report noted the advantage for Holm:
Funny that the fighter with the "best clinch game in the sport" is getting woman-handled there.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) July 24, 2016
Still, Shevchenko began to get the better of the exchanges with her compact, efficient counters. Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com saw the round for the 28-year-old:
Hey hey. Better round for Shevchenko. Tough for her to win rounds due to low volume but I got her winning that one. 19-19.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 24, 2016
Bullet took that momentum into the third frame. She bloodied Holm's eye with an accidental head-butt and went to work with crisp combinations on the feet. Then she was able to take down the former champion and do some damage from the half-guard.
While Holm's strength and size was the difference early, Shevchenko's speed continued to present issues as the fight wore on.
The fourth round was more of the same as Holm lumbered forward and Shevchenko continued to pepper Holm with hard shots in return.
Okamoto summed up Shevchenko's performance while giving his final scorecard:
I've got it 49-46, Shevchenko over Holm. Found the right game plan, picked up Holm's tendencies, negated the size. She's a pro.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 24, 2016
The win for Shevchenko highlighted the unpredictable nature the women's bantamweight division has displayed since Holm defeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November.
Since then, the 135-pound title has changed hands twice in as many title fights, with Holm and Miesha Tate both losing the title on their first defense.
Now, Shevchenko has emerged as a name to watch in the division with a win over the former champion.
At 13-2, Shevchenko secured the biggest win of her career. The last time she was in the Octagon, she showed a lot of heart against new champion Amanda Nunes in a decision loss but came up short of breaking into the upper echelon of women's bantamweights.
This time Shevchenko, who is a decorated kickboxer, has made her presence known in the division.
And she hasn't forgotten about her decision loss to Nunes.
“Amanda and I have some unfinished business from our last fight,” she said, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. “There is no way she comes out victorious in a five-round championship fight with me. I gave her the last opportunity and I will never give that opportunity again to anyone."
There is some weight to Shevchenko's argument. Nunes blew her out in the first two rounds, but it was clear that her conditioning would give her a chance in a five-round fight. She outlanded Nunes 41-3 in the third and final round, per FightMetric.
While the win for Shevchenko earned her relevance in the division, it's another example of how quickly a star can fall for Holm.
In November, Holm was one of the UFC's biggest names. She was the woman who beat Rousey. With this loss, she slipped close to always being known only as "the woman who beat Ronda Rousey."
Holm is a fighter, so this won't be the last we hear of her. But she'll need to rebound in a big way if she wants to avoid only being the answer to a trivia question moving forward.
