• UFC veteran Chael Sonnen says Valentina Shevchenko should insist on main event billing.
• Shevchenko posted two dominant wins in 2025, over Manon Fiorot and Zhang Weili.
• Sonnen argues co-main billing is making her achievements less memorable.
• Shevchenko has main‑evented before (UFC 215 vs Amanda Nunes) and remains a Fighter of the Year candidate.
H2: Sonnen’s challenge to Shevchenko
Chael Sonnen, a longtime Octagon figure and outspoken analyst, says Valentina Shevchenko should take a harder line with her team and the UFC: demand main-event status or walk away. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen praised Shevchenko’s 2025 run but said her repeated co-main spot is undermining how fans remember her accomplishments.
Sonnen suggested a blunt message to her management: “It’s main event or else,” arguing there is no excuse for the flyweight champion and one of the sport’s best female fighters to be anything less than a headliner.
Embedded post:
Chael Sonnen YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClDISPpNyO8wQcBXu8XneFQ?sub_confirmation=1
H2: What Shevchenko achieved in 2025
At 37, Shevchenko produced one of her strongest calendar years. She beat the top flyweight contender and also defeated Zhang Weili — the former strawweight/bantamweight titleholder who moved up to challenge — delivering two decisive victories that reinforced her standing among the sport’s elite.
Those wins make Shevchenko a legitimate candidate for Fighter of the Year discussions, even if fan consensus has favored other names. Sonnen acknowledged her status and even noted she has headlined a UFC pay-per-view before — most notably her 2017 rematch with Amanda Nunes at UFC 215 — so the case for main-event billing is not unprecedented.
H3: Why co-main billing matters, according to Sonnen
Sonnen’s core point is about perception. He argues that repeated co-main positions dilute media attention and fan memory, making it harder for voters and casual viewers to recall a fighter’s year when debates like Fighter of the Year roll around.
“Main event or one of you isn’t going to be here,” Sonnen said, urging Shevchenko to be more assertive about her platform.
H3: Counterpoint — dominance can be underappreciated
Critics of Sonnen’s framing note that being co-main does not change the quality of Shevchenko’s performances. The reason some of her 2025 wins felt less thrilling, supporters say, is because she was clearly dominant — efficient, clinical, and in control — not because the bouts lacked significance.
Those routine-looking wins still came against top opposition and reinforce her legacy as one of MMA’s most accomplished female fighters.
H2: What’s next
Whether Shevchenko follows Sonnen’s advice remains to be seen. Her on-cage form gives her the leverage to request headlining spots, but matchmaking, timing, and UFC priorities will also play major roles.
For now, the debate continues: should a fighter of Shevchenko’s résumé insist on main-event billing to lock in recognition, or do her performances speak loud enough regardless of card placement? Her 2025 results mean she will be part of that conversation either way.
Image Referance: https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/12/30/ufc-legend-urges-fighter-of-the-year-contender-to-push-against-the-one-thing-thats-holding-them-back/
