Who’s essentially the most untouchable champion within the UFC?

When UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko enters the Octagon on Saturday, she’ll achieve this as a -1,200 favourite in opposition to veteran Liz Carmouche. The 2 met beforehand in 2010, with Carmouche incomes a second-round TKO win, however occasions have modified. Shevchenko has gone on to grow to be probably the most dominant fighters within the sport. Her hand has been raised in 10 out of 12 bouts for the reason that first Carmouche struggle, dropping solely to arguably the best ladies’s fighter of all time, Amanda Nunes, at bantamweight.

Shevchenko dropped right down to flyweight in 2018, and she or he has since dominated her three opponents. Competitors at that weight class seems sparse. Is her reign as champion the least doubtful long run?

We posed that to ESPN’s MMA staff of Ariel Helwani, Brett Okamoto and Marc Raimondi.

Who’s essentially the most untouchable UFC champion?

Valentina Shevchenko will not be missing motivation on Saturday. Not solely will the dominant UFC ladies’s flyweight champion put her title on the road in opposition to Liz Carmouche in Montevideo, Uruguay, she’ll even have an opportunity at revenge. Earlier than they landed within the UFC, Carmouche defeated Shevchenko by TKO 9 years in the past.

UFC Combat Night time: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche
• Saturday, Montevideo, Uruguay
• Prelims: ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET
• Essential card: ESPN+, eight p.m. ET

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Helwani: My reply got here right down to UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko or gentle heavyweight champion Jon Jones. In the end, the reply is a straightforward one: Shevchenko. I might argue there’s a bigger hole in expertise proper now between her and the remainder of the division than there has ever been in any weight class. I do know she has solely been champion for lower than a 12 months, however it’s clear that she is much and away higher than the division in the mean time.

I hope that is not seen as a slight towards the remainder of the fighters at 125. I believe the division is evolving, and there are some good fighters arising, together with Andrea Lee, Maycee Barber and Gillian Robertson. That stated, I do not suppose anybody is presently a critical menace to Shevchenko, and I do not see a critical menace on the horizon, both. And what? I do not thoughts. I like dominant title reigns. It makes the eventual loss (as a result of all of them lose in some unspecified time in the future) that rather more memorable.

Okamoto: My instant response to this query was Jon Jones — and truthfully, that is perhaps the perfect reply. I imply, Jones has accomplished it. He has proved his dominance over this division 14 occasions over (the variety of UFC title fights he already has gained). With regards to the greatness of Jones, no hypothesis is required.

However after I went to really write “Jon Jones” in my response, Valentina Shevchenko would not let me do it. Who’s essentially the most “untouchable” champion? I believe it is Shevchenko. Jones simply narrowly defeated Thiago Santos. Jones is in a division during which it’s miles extra doubtless a single punch may finish his reign at any second.

I consider Jones is the best fighter to have ever lived, but when I needed to guess my life on who holds onto their belt longer — Jones or Shevchenko — I am taking Shevchenko. She is so a lot better than the remainder of her division — and on the identical time, nonetheless so hungry, motivated, centered — she is my closing reply.

Jon Jones is without doubt one of the most dominant fighters in UFC historical past, however the distance between Jones and the remainder of the sunshine heavyweight division is questionable after Thiago Santos pushed him at UFC 239. AP Photograph/Eric Jamison

Raimondi: Amanda Nunes is the perfect reply to this query as a result of she has a stranglehold on two totally different divisions. Nunes has darn close to cleaned out ladies’s bantamweight; she has defeated each fighter who has ever held that title or the ladies’s featherweight title, which Nunes additionally holds. Germaine de Randamie could possibly be aggressive with Nunes at bantamweight, however Nunes already has crushed her, and that was six years in the past, lengthy earlier than Nunes discovered her footing as the perfect ladies’s fighter on the planet.

As for featherweight, if Nunes truly does go up and defends that title, there are valuable few potential contenders. Now that Cris Cyborg is leaving the UFC for one more struggle promotion, the one compelling matchup for Nunes at 145 kilos is gone. And, after all, Nunes knocked out Cyborg within the first spherical at UFC 232 in December. The one fighter maybe greatest geared up to offer Nunes a run is Shevchenko, however Shevchenko holds the flyweight title and there hasn’t been a lot speak of her coming again up in weight. Plus, Nunes already has crushed her twice. So who’s left for “The Lioness”? No title really stands out.

The kind of fighter who may beat my choice is … ?

Raimondi: We all know how strikers have fared in opposition to Nunes currently. She knocked out each Cyborg and Holly Holm within the first spherical, and they’re among the many greatest strikers in ladies’s MMA historical past. Grapplers? Nunes made brief work of judoka Ronda Rousey. The trail to victory in opposition to Nunes might be to place her on her again, however that’s no simple process.

Shevchenko had success in that regard late of their first struggle, although Nunes escaped and finally gained. Nunes fought Olympic wrestling silver medalist Sara McMann however knocked her out earlier than McMann may ever impose her will. The bantamweight or featherweight equal of rising star strawweight Tatiana Suarez could be the perfect guess, however that lady doesn’t presently exist proper now, it appears. I’d give Shevchenko a shot in a 3rd struggle — she is actually good — however, as soon as once more, Nunes has defeated her twice.

Okamoto: Effectively, Shevchenko has misplaced twice within the UFC — each to the identical lady, Amanda Nunes. It is laborious to say Nunes is the “sort” of fighter to defeat Shevchenko, nonetheless, as a result of a number of it got here right down to dimension. Each of Shevchenko’s losses to Nunes have been at 135 kilos. She is now the champion of the 125-pound division, whereas Nunes has fought, comfortably, as excessive as 145 kilos.

That stated, you may take one thing from Shevchenko’s losses to Nunes. Whoever beats her at 125 kilos must possess sufficient energy to earn Shevchenko’s respect. Shevchenko is extraordinarily calculated, virtually to the purpose of being inactive at occasions. A flyweight opponent who possesses actual, fight-changing energy she has to respect, in addition to a bodily grappling capacity, may problem Shevchenko.

Valentina Shevchenko has completely dominated all three of her fights since shifting right down to flyweight, and it is laborious to check her dropping her UFC belt any time quickly. Alex Garcia for ESPN

Helwani: To beat Shevchenko, you must be a really well-rounded fighter who can be good within the putting and grappling division. You must be very robust. You must be very fast. You have got to have the ability to bully her and set the tempo early. All a lot simpler stated than accomplished, after all. Even her previous two losses — to present ladies’s MMA queen Amanda Nunes — have been supremely shut, and many individuals consider she gained one, if not each fights.

Which second or victory greatest outlined your choice’s dominance?

Okamoto: This reply’s simple: Shevchenko’s choice win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk in December. Jedrzejczyk is the UFC’s former five-time defending strawweight champion. She is a former Muay Thai champion and one of many few ladies within the sport who may even considerably rival the period of time Shevchenko has spent coaching fight sports activities.

Jedrzejczyk was an underdog when she fought Shevchenko the primary time, however she was no less than thought of to be on her stage. Shevchenko dominated her that night time, successful 4 of 5 rounds. One may simply make the argument Jedrzejczyk would beat each flyweight within the division aside from Shevchenko, and even Jedrzejczyk struggled to offer her a aggressive struggle. What does that say concerning the possibilities of another flyweight?

Helwani: It is laborious to select only one. I believe Shevchenko’s flyweight debut in opposition to Priscila Cachoeira opened a ton of eyes as a result of she was so dominant in that struggle. It truly was laborious to look at at occasions as a result of Shevchenko was simply that a lot better than Cachoeira. Shevchenko outclassed her, outstriking her opponent 230-Three.

The win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk additionally was notable as a result of she was a former champion. And naturally, the second-round head-kick knockout of Jessica Eye was simply downright vicious. I do know I am itemizing all three of her flyweight wins within the UFC, however they have been all large. And let’s not communicate unwell of her wins at 135 over Holly Holm and Julianna Pena. I truthfully cannot say sufficient good issues about how Shevchenko has appeared as of late. I believe she is without doubt one of the most well-rounded fighters within the sport, no matter weight class or gender.

Raimondi: Nunes left bantamweight for featherweight in 2018 and knocked out Cyborg in slugfest eight months in the past at UFC 232. Cyborg was the -250 favourite, the featherweight champion and essentially the most dominant ladies’s MMA fighter of all time entering into. And Nunes made fast work of her within the first spherical. Nobody had ever seen Cyborg hit like that.

Most thought Cyborg may beat Nunes, and it couldn’t have gone any extra otherwise.

Nunes’ head-kick knockout of Holly Holm was virtually as spectacular, however Nunes was a giant -350 favourite coming in.