Former TUF 18 winner Julianna Pena has just been handed her most high-profile assignment to date – a UFC On FOX 23 headlining fight with Valentina Shevchenko on January 28th in Denver, Colorado.
This will be the second time in a row that females will have topped the bill on a FOX card, with Paige VanZant and Michele Waterson also set to main event UFC On FOX 22 later this month.
The No.3 ranked Pena has been calling out for a bantamweight title shot, and a fight with the No.2 ranked Shevchenko could well put her next in line.
So far the 27 year-old Pena has compiled a four-fight winning streak in the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter, with her biggest wins coming by unanimous decision against Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano.
Though she’s one spot higher in the official rankings, Shevchenko has compiled a 2-1 run in the Octagon so far, but she’s coming in to this bout with a lot of momentum after a big unanimous decision win over former champion Holly Holm at UFC On FOX 20 in July – an event she also headlined.
Other bouts so far confirmed for UFC On FOX 23 include Hector Lombard Vs Brad Tavares and Sam Alvey Vs Nate Marquardt.
