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Valentina Shevchenko ‘not even sure’ Nicco Montano ever fights again after UFC 228 debacle

Valentina Shevchenko isn’t done dishing out harsh words for former UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano.

Shevchenko (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was supposed to challenge Montano (4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) for the title at UFC 228 earlier this month. The fight fell apart on weigh-in day, though, when Montano was hospitalized due to a bad weight cut and stripped of the title shortly thereafter.

“The Bullet” is now booked to fight Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) for the vacant strap at UFC 231 in December, but she hasn’t forgotten about Montano. The idea of the two sharing the octagon at some point in the future doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility, but Shevchenko doesn’t see it happening.

Why? Because not only does Shevchenko, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s flyweight rankings, doubt No. 1 Montano would willingly fight her, she’s uncertain the ex-champ will step back in the octagon against anyone.

“I’m not even sure that she will ever come back to fight,” Shevchenko told MMAjunkie Radio. “People have their limits with their feelings. They never go over this feeling. Maybe it was the most for her, and she will be happy for the rest of her days. She already did it (become UFC champion). I’m not sure she will ever go back and fight anywhere. Just anywhere in general.”

UFC 231 takes place Dec. 8 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Shevchenko vs. Jedrzejczyk co-headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims expected on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

One of the lessons Shevchenko took away from the UFC 228 debacle is that a backup fighter is a necessity for championship contests. She said she has no concerns about Jedrzejczyk showing up at UFC 231 because she is a “professional,” but sometimes unforeseen circumstances occur, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“It’s good to have some backup because you never know what could happen, because if something happens you have someone to recover,” Shevchenko said. “Something happened last time, and they could not find any replacement on such short notice. It’s good to have backup. Let’s see what will go. It doesn’t matter for me. I will prepare and will be ready for everyone. My only hope that will happen is the fight. It doesn’t matter against who.”

For more on UFC 231, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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