Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White stripped Nicco Montano of the 125-pound strap earlier this month after The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 26 champion delayed her initial title defense, then failed to answer the call at UFC 228.
With the flyweight title currently in limbo, the promotion has agreed to let former strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, move up to 125 pounds to battle top contender — and former bantamweight — Valentina Shevchenko.
They’ll do the deed in the UFC 231 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, set for Sat., Dec. 8, 2018 inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a fight card that is expected to be headlined by the Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega featherweight title fight.
Jedrzejczyk (15-2) was unseated from her 115-pound throne in a stunning upset to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217. Their UFC 223 rematch went the distance but yielded the same result, sending the Pole to the back of the line, despite a rebound win over Tecia Torres at UFC on FOX 30.
Shevchenko (15-3), meanwhile, dropped down to the flyweight division after an unsuccessful attempt to strip Amanda Nunes of the 135-pound strap. Her highly-anticipated debut resulted in an unnecessarily violent submission win over the hapless Priscila Cachoeira at UFC Fight Night 125 back in February.
Early predictions for the flyweight title fight?