Valentina Shevchenko to Face Sijara Eubanks for Flyweight Title in UFC 230 Headliner

With less than a month to go before its next visit to Madison Square Garden, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was still scrambling for a signature fight to headline the marquee venue.

The end result is a main event lacking in star power, as Valentina Shevchenko will square off against Sijara Eubanks for the vacant women’s flyweight championship in UFC 230’s featured bout on Nov. 3. Shevchenko was originally slated to face Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231, but that bout was nixed in order to give UFC 230 a headliner. ESPN.com first reported the bout.

Shevchenko, a former bantamweight title challenger, was expected to vie for flyweight gold at UFC 228 but lost her chance when ex-champ Nicco Montano had to pull out of the contest due to a bad weight cut. Montano was stripped of her belt shortly thereafter. After compiling a 3-2 mark at 135 pounds, “Bullet” earned a dominant submission win over Priscilla Cachoeira in her flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 125 on Feb. 3.

Eubanks, meanwhile, bested Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson, DeAnna Bennett and Roxanne Modafferi to reach the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter 26.” However, she lost her opportunity to vie for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight crown after missing weight prior to the “TUF 26” finale. Eubanks instead made her Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 131, earning a decision over Lauren Murphy to improve her professional record to 3-2.

It’s signed!! UFC 230 Nov 3 at the iconic Madison Square Garden for the women’s Flyweight Title! Big thanks @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite for giving me my shot. @AliAbdelaziz00 for being the manager in the game period. @MarkCoachmark13 @ricalmeidabjj @JamalPatterson and the whole team pic.twitter.com/yoxwPYQXI4

— Sijara SarJ Eubanks (@SarJnCharge) October 2, 2018