UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has no problems fighting Julianna Pena if the bantamweight queen pulls out another win against Amanda Nunes this summer. “The Venezuelan Vixen” shocked former double champ Nunes – considered by many as the greatest of all time in women’s MMA – to take her 135-pound belt last December in a seismic shock. The two are now opposing coaches on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter , which began airing last week, and are set to face off again in July or August. Shevchenko (22-3) had long been mooted for a trilogy with Nunes, having reeled off eight straight wins – with six title defences – since suffering a second loss to “The Lioness” in September 2019. That defeat came eight months after the Kyrgyzstani made Pena tap out. “I think why not, because years ago we fought with Julianna, and I submitted her with an arm bar in the second round” said Shevchenko, when asked about potentially facing Pena instead of Nunes, during Tuesday’s UFC 275 virtual press conference. “I think it will be an exciting fight for everyone, where she would go down and try to challenge in flyweight or whatever.” UFC 275: Zhang ‘turned down’ 5-round rematch, claims Jedrzejczyk But Shevchenko is by no means counting Nunes out in the highly anticipated bantamweight title rematch with Pena. “Definitely Julianna has all the chances to win, but if Amanda is gonna be in the same fight shape as when she fought me, I think she will get back her belt, and we are gonna still come back for this third fight,” Shevchenko said. “Either way I don’t care really. I can fight both of them at the same time, like whatever. “It’s a mental game for all fighters,” she added. “We know exactly Amanda doesn’t have this mental game very strong in her previous fight. We can see that everyone can break their mental game, but I have a very strong mental game.” But first Shevchenko has to get past Taila Santos at next month’s event in Singapore – and the Brazilian challenger (19-1) admitted she is taking huge inspiration from Pena’s shock win over Nunes. “I think when athletes step into the Octagon, both have 100 per cent chance,” Santos said on Tuesday’s Zoom call. “When you see a fight like Amanda’s defeat to Julianna … it’s just like a video game – when you come in there’s two bars there, 100 per cent stamina on both sides. Each hit takes a little bit of life. The one that’s more spiritually and physically brave, more focused and driven and prepared, is going to win. “I don’t need people to believe in me,” Santos added. “The only person that needs to believe I can dethrone Valentina is myself. I believe it’s my moment. I believe with the hard work, the journey I’ve had, I’m due for this. I believe my time has come and you should start believing that I can be the one [to beat Shevchenko].”