Katlyn Chookagian Admits to Having Shevchenko on the Brain During UFC 244 Camp

Reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko has been on the brain of Katlyn Chookagian for quite some time, even as she prepared to face Jennifer Maia at UFC 244.

Fortunately for Chookagian, that approach didn’t hinder her on Saturday night, as she earned a unanimous verdict over Maia, a former Invicta FC titlist, at Madison Square Garden in New York. “Blonde Fighter” owns four victories at 125 pounds, tying her for the most wins in the history of the division.

Now, Chookagian can hope that her run is enough to earn a flyweight title shot against Shevchenko.

“Valentina is the fight that I’ve been wanting since she got the title. I’m not just in the UFC to be another fighter, I want the title,” Chookagian said. “I never look past the opponents I have, but she’s always someone I have in mind.

“I’ve been sparring lefties all camp and ever since I’ve gotten into the UFC, so I’m definitely thinking about that. Some of the stuff I’ve been working on in this camp, not to look past Jennifer, but some of the stuff was also to improve my skills for the next fight, which is hopefully Valentina. I think my style matches up really well with her, we’re both counter strikers, so time to get back to the gym on Monday and get ready.”

The fight with Maia was competitive, but in a battle of two fighters accustomed to going the distance, Chookagian outlanded her opponent by a 73-to-58 count in significant strikes to get the nod on the judges’ scorecards. Maia missed weight on Friday, which was something that Chookagian’s team expected. Ultimately, it wasn’t a major factor in the fight.

“Everyone said in camp that Jennifer was going to miss weight, but she had only missed it one time and she’s been fighting at 125 for years, but I knew she came in this week heavy. I was just hoping she was going to make it to weigh-ins so we can have the fight,” Chookagian said. “It was only one pound, so I was fine with it. I felt that I had Round 1 and 2 and lost Round 3 with the takedown, so I was confident going to the decision, but I guess you can never been too confident with the judges.”

In addition to Maia, Chookagian has bested Joanne Calderwood, Alexis Davis and Mara Romero Borella at 125 pounds, with her lone loss coming at the hands of former flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye via split decision. Overall, the Team Renzo Gracie representative is 6-2 in the Octagon and also owns a notable win over Irene Aldana at 135 pounds.