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Report: Valentina Shevchenko to defend title vs. Joanne Calderwood at UFC 251

Can Joanne Calderwood present a challenge to 3-time defending champion Valentina Shevchenko? (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Can Joanne Calderwood present a challenge to 3-time defending champion Valentina Shevchenko? (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Valentina Shevchenko has established herself as one of the most feared fighters in the world, a reputation she put on full display in a dominant third-round TKO of No. 1 contender Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247.

Joanne Calderwood will be next in line to try to dethrone the women’s flyweight champion with a scheduled bout at UFC 251 on June 6, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reports.

The event doesn’t have a scheduled venue yet, but will likely take place in Australia, according to the report. Both sides have agreed to the fight.

Shevchenko in top form

Shevchenko (18-3) has successfully defended her title three times since defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the belt at UFC 231 in 2018.

Her win over Chookagian showed her in top form, forcing a third-round stoppage with a violent ground-and-pound finish to retain her title.

Calderwood, 13-4, is the third-ranked contender in the division. Shevchenko has already defeated top-ranked contender Jessica Eye and Chookagian, who dropped to No. 2 after her UFC 247 defeat.

Calderwood has won three out of her last four fights, with her only loss in that stretch via unanimous decision to Chookagian.

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