On Saturday, Jan. 28, the UFC returns to where it began, the Mile High City of Denver, for UFC on Fox 23: Shevchenko vs. Pena, which emanates from the Pepsi Center.
In the night’s main event, striking stalwart Valentina Shevchenko takes on The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner Julianna Pena in a bout that could determine the next bantamweight No. 1 contender. The 28-year-old Shevchenko has tasted defeat just once since 2010 — a decision loss to current champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 196. Shevchenko quickly rebounded by dominating former titleholder Holly Holm in July at UFC on Fox 21. Pena, meanwhile, has reeled off four straight wins inside the Octagon since capturing the reality show crown in 2013. In her most recent appearance, she topped former title challenger Cat Zingano at UFC 200 by decision.
The 12-fight event kicks off Saturday with two preliminary card bouts streaming live on UFC Fight Pass at 4 p.m. ET. Six additional preliminary card bouts air live on Fox Sports 1 at 5 p.m. ET, with the four-fight main card taking place at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
The fighters hit the scales at on Friday, Jan. 27. The full results of the weigh-ins can be found here. Below is a photo gallery shot by Rob Tatum of Combat Press. Click an image for a larger version.
