UFC 255 Serves as Another Showcase for Valentina Shevchenko

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UFC 255 is centered around two title bouts, as flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo defends his belt against Alex Perez, and women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko looks to extend her dominance in the division against Jennifer Maia.

On paper, both fights heavily favorite the champs, but it’s an interesting choice to have Figueiredo headlining this UFC 255 card over Shevchenko. They are both the star pieces of their respective flyweight divisions, but Shevchenko is an infinitely bigger star. Choosing to anchor this card with Figueiredo is surprising, especially considering he is facing off against a less-heralded opponent in Perez. But UFC is no doubt hoping for a flashy finish that helps build Figueiredo into an even bigger star back home in Brazil.

Shevchenko is the second-best female fighter in the UFC, behind only Amanda Nunes. She lost both her bouts against Nunes, and though those fights were competitive, she was a victim of not being big enough to battle a bigger, stronger Nunes. Shevchenko should steamroll Maia on Saturday, dominating a division that does not have a legitimate threat to its champ.

Here are the top stories entering UFC 255, which kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 (prelims) and ESPN+ (main card, at 10 p.m. ET) from Las Vegas.

Is Deiveson Figueiredo a star on the rise?

Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (19-1) defends his title against Alex Perez (24-5) in the main event of UFC 255, and for the UFC, the best-case outcome to this bout is an impressive Figueiredo victory.

Figueiredo is from Brazil, which is a massive market for the UFC. He has compiled four wins in a row after suffering his lone defeat, and he needs to deliver a flashy knockout. Perez is not the most formidable challenger for Figueiredo, who has the size, speed and versatile skillset for a lengthy reign atop the division. The biggest stumbling block for Figueiredo is if he suffers a similar fate as Tyron Woodley, who won the welterweight championship with an aggressive style, then quickly became a defensive fighter as champ, bringing an entirely different style to his fights and landing an incredibly low number of strikes. We have yet to see Figueiredo enough as champion to know whether he will remain a stand-up fighter, which could help him become the division’s biggest star since Demetrious Johnson.

An upset title win by Perez would throw the division into an odd limbo. More likely, Figueiredo walks away victorious. His next challenger could also be found on this UFC 255 card—Brandon Moreno, a protégé of Joseph Benavidez, the man that Figueiredo defeated for the title. Moreno (17-5-1) meets Brandon Royval (12-4) on the preliminary card.

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How will Valentina Shevchenko finish her fight against Jennifer Maia?

Women’s flyweight champion Shevchenko has a Khabib Nurmagomedov level of awareness in the octagon. When she senses the fight is in her favor, she will submit her opponent rather than knock her out.

Shevchenko (19-3) is a nearly unstoppable force and has only dropped two of her last 14 fights, both to Nunes. Maia (18-6-1) defeated Joanne Calderwood this past August with an impressive first round submission, but she is simply not on the same level as Shevchenko.

This fight will end by submission.

Who is the next contender for Shevchenko?

The right to challenge Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight championship will also be in play on Saturday at UFC 255, as Katlyn Chookagian meets Cynthia Calvillo in a flyweight fight.

This is not quite a No. 1 contender’s match, especially if Chookagian (14-4) is victorious, as she already lost to Shevchenko earlier this year at UFC 247. There is, however, an instant contender for Shevchenko’s Flyweight title in Calvillo (9-1-1), especially if she wins in convincing fashion.

Jessica Andrade is another candidate for a shot at Shevchenko. She brings value as a former women’s strawweight champion, but that unfortunately for the UFC, this is yet another matchup that Shevchenko would dominate.

Why is Mike Perry on this card?

One fight on Saturday’s card that sticks out for all the wrong reasons is the welterweight fight pitting Mike Perry (14-6) against Tim Means (30-12-1, 1 NC).

Perry should not be an active part of this card. His ex-wife shared details last month about physical and verbal abuse she endured from Perry, including an incident when Perry’s mother called 911 on him.

Perry is an exciting fighter, but there is a building list of police reports that should prevent this fight from happening, regardless of potential excitement in the octagon. There is zero benefit for the UFC to have him on this card.

This bout was originally intended to be Perry against Robbie Lawlor, who had to be replaced due to injury. That should have been the UFC’s window to replace this fight altogether. Active domestic abuse allegations should outweigh the merit of any potential fight, which is why Perry should not be on the card.

What else stands out on the UFC 255 card?

The opener to the main card on ESPN+ is a light heavyweight bout pitting Mauricio Rua (27-11, 1 NC) against Paul Craig (13-4-1).

These two were placed in the opener for a reason and they will come out with a fight that is a banger. Rua has done so much for the sport and it would be great to see him continue racking up wins before he decides to retire, but this is a matchup that slightly favors Craig.

The undercard also features the return of Antonina Shevchenko (8-2), Valentina’s older sister. She last competed in a loss to Chookagian this past May and seeks to get back on track at the expense of Ariane Lipski (13-5). She's listed as the underdog, but this is an outstanding style fight for Lipski. Shevchenko has a weakness on the ground, but that is a strength for Lipski, making this her opportunity for a breakout moment.

The UFC 255 card also marks the return of Joaquin Buckley, who is coming off an all-time great knockout courtesy of his spinning back kick that dropped Impa Kasanganay. Buckley (11-3) will meet undefeated Jordan Wright (11-0, 1 NC), and he needs to dominate this fight in order to prove he is ready for a shot at someone in the top-15.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.