UFC champ Amanda Nunes' plan? Beat Shevchenko again, then go up to 145

Amanda Nunes’ next challenge will come at 135 pounds. After that, though? The UFC women’s bantamweight champion wants to move up to 145 pounds.

As UFC officials announced on Friday, Nunes (14-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will rematch Valentina Shevchenko (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in July at UFC 213.

The event takes place July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Nunes vs. Shevchenko will likely co-headline the pay-per-view portion of the card – assuming UFC President Dana White’s promise of a men’s bantamweight fight between champ Cody Garbrandt (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and T.J. Dillashaw (14-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) remains intact.

Nunes, who won the title with a July 2016 victory over Miesha Tate and then defended it with a beatdown of Ronda Rousey in December, had previously mentioned a desire to go up to 145 pounds, where Germaine de Randamie (7-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) won the inaugural title earlier this year with a decision win over Holly Holm.

“I want to go up for sure,” Nunes said during Friday’s “UFC Summer Kickoff” press conference, where she had an intense face-off with Shevchenko. “I cleaned (out) this division. I beat this gal (Shevchenko) already. I beat her already, and I’m going to do it again.

“And, you know, I want to go up. I think I have the chance to decide what I want to do for my next step.”

Prior to her title reign, Nunes, who’s now No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s bantamweight rankings, picked up a decision victory over No. 2-ranked Shevchenko in early 2016.

“After this fight, I will kick her ass again, and the UFC will give me the opportunity (at 145),” she said.

For more on UFC 213, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.