Shevchenko Off Of UFC 251 Due To Injury

A major title fight has been moved, but not as a result of the coronavirus. ESPN spoke to UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, who stated she is off of UFC 251 due to a leg injury.

It is unknown if the overall event would have been moved with the pandemic currently taking place, but it may be for the best. Shevchenko’s opponent, Joanna Calderwood, hinted to MMA Fighting that the fight would be rescheduled.

“We got word last week that it’s going to get pushed back,” Calderwood stated. “Not because of this whole thing, but something on her end. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say that, but we know for sure that it’s not going to be on June 6. I don’t know, I’m not sure what happened or what’s what, but it’s been pushed back. It could be a blessing in disguise.”

Shevchenko(19-3) is on a five-fight win streak. She fought twice in 2019, beating both Jessica Eye and Liz Carmouche. Facing Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247, Shevchenko won the bout via TKO. It appears she hurt herself during the bout following a kick and has not recovered since.

Ranked third in the UFC’s flyweight rankings, Calderwood (14-4) is on a one-fight win streak and is 3-1 in her last four fights. Following a loss to Chookagian at UFC 238 in June, she rebounded with a split decision win over Andrea Lee back at UFC 242 in September.

UFC 251 is set to take place on Junes 6 inside Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. The rumored main event is Alexander Volkanovski defending the UFC Featherweight Championship against former champion Max Holloway.