Shevchenko last defended her title against Jennifer Maia last month, securing her sixth successive win since she lost a close split decision in a bantamweight championship fight with women’s pound-for-pound great Amanda Nunes in 2017.
Since that fight, Shevchenko has won five straight world title fights of her own – a number that will inevitably lead to speculation of a third fight with the irrepressible Nunes, who also beat Shevchenko in 2016.
But before “Bullet” takes on the the next top contender in the UFC’s flyweight frame, it appears that the 32-year-old star has been spending time recharging her batteries.
Shevchenko, whose older sister, Antonina, is also a UFC fighter, has posted a sequence of photos of herself enjoying the sights of New Orleans to her following of more than 1.6 million on Instagram.
She drove over Lake Pontchartrain, visited an aquarium and took a steamboat walk by the Mississippi River as part of her whirlwind tour, causing one supporter to ask: “I wonder if any fans from that area even notice it’s the champ casually walking around.”
Looking at pictures of Shevchenko posing with cannons and sitting in cafes, another replied: “I live in New Orleans and believe me, if I saw her I would know.”
Shevchenko hasn’t yet been handed her next Octagon assignment – but with former strawweight title holder Jessica Andrade making a successful flyweight debut against former Shevchenko victim and second-ranked contender Katlyn Chookagian, it seems likely that UFC matchmakers will attempt to pair them sometime early next year.
Either way, Shevchenko says that she doesn’t want to spend too much time on the sidelines.
“I don’t want to wait that much because I was waiting a lot already and I’m not agreeing to wait more (for) their fight (to happen),” Shevchenko said via MMA Junkie following her win against Maia last month.
“It’s going to be a few months from here. I’m ready to go back to the octagon as soon as I feel good – and I feel good.“
© 2020, paradox. All rights reserved.
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