UFC on FOX 23 takes place on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at the Pepsi Center and is headlined by a women’s No. 1 contenders fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena.
Shevchenko (13-2) will look to earn the right to face reigning champion Nunes (14-4) for the bantamweight title and gain a measure of revenge for unanimous decision defeat she suffered at the hands of the champion at UFC 196 by defeating her opponent on Saturday night.
The former multiple times world Muay Thai champion would quickly rebound from that setback to defeat former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC on Fox 20 last July.
Pena (8-2) who won the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter Season enters the octagon on Saturday evening looking to maintain a 4-fight unbeaten run since making her UFC debut.
During her perfect start to life competing for the world’s no.1 MMA promotion the “The Venezuelan Vixen” has bested Jessica Rakoczy, Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and most recently former title challenger Cat Zingano at UFC 200 last July.
A win over her Russian opponent will be the 27-year old Washington natives biggest to date and move her within one step of fulfilling her dream to become UFC women’s bantamweight champion.
UFC on FOX 23 takes place on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado and also features a co-main event between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Jorge Masvidal who both have title ambitions of their own.
UFC on FOX 23 Shevchenko vs. Pena Fight Card
Valentina Shevchenko (13-2) vs. Julianna Pena (8-2)
Donald Cerrone (32-7, 1NC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (31-11)
Andrei Arlovski (25-13, 1NC) vs. Francis Ngannou (9-1)
Alex Caceres (12-9) vs. Jason Knight (15-2)
Nate Marquardt (35-16-2) vs. Sam Alvey (29-8-0, 1NC)
Raphael Assunção (23-5) vs. Aljamain Sterling (12-1)
Bobby Nash (8-1) vs. Li Jingliang (11-4)
Luis Henrique da Silva (12-1) vs. Jordan Johnson (6-0)
Eric Spicely (9-2) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (10-1)
Marcos Rogerio de Lima (14-4-1) vs. Jeremy Kimball (14-5)
Alexandre Pantoja (16-2) vs. Eric Shelton (10-2)
Jason Gonzalez (10-3) vs. J.C. Cottrell (17-3)
