Shevchenko: Date for title fight with Nunes being discussed

Valentina Shevchenko doesn't know when, but she's confident that she is next to fight for the UFC women's bantamweight championship.

That title is currently held by Amanda Nunes, the woman who handed Shevchenko her lone loss inside the Octagon when the two fought in March 2016. Nunes won a unanimous decision and went on to defeat Miesha Tate at UFC 200 to claim her belt.

During that same stretch, Shevchenko picked up back-to-back wins against former champion Holly Holm and top-5 contender Julianna Pena, setting her up for another shot at Nunes, this time with a lot more on the line.

On Thursday, Shevchenko told "MMAjunkie Radio" that her team is currently working with Nunes' to negotiate a date for the rematch.

"When she declined the fight in April, she was (telling) the UFC she'd be out for some time, and she won't be back until July," Shevchenko said, according to MMAjunkie's Steven Marrocco. "Of course, I was planning my schedule to be busy before July.

"But then she changed her mind, and now we are speaking about the date."

With Nunes' 48-second destruction of Ronda Rousey last December, there aren't many women at 135 pounds who are perceived as a threat to "The Lioness," but Shevchenko's strong performance in their first fight suggests that she'll provide a stiff challenge for Nunes.

Shevchenko believes that both fighters have evolved since last year and that she's made the necessary adjustments to avenge her past defeat.

"I think for every person, each experience brings changes," Shevchenko said. "It's difficult to say, because all her fights end very fast. We couldn't see a lot.

"But she is a very dangerous opponent. That's why I have to train three times more, and I'll do it. But it doesn't matter. This is what I want. I want this title, and I'll do everything to win it."