Dana White Explains How Shevchenko vs. Eubanks Was Chosen as UFC 230 Headliner

The announcement of the UFC 230 headliner was met with disbelief throughout the MMA community on Tuesday — and not in a good way.

Considering all the speculation that surrounded the event, with possibilities ranging from a title fight in a new weight class to the return of Jon Jones, a matchup for the vacant flyweight belt between Valentina Shevchenko and Sijara Eubanks was something of a letdown. After all, Shevchenko had already been booked to face Joanna Jedrzejczyk, a more established opponent and a former champion, at UFC 231 on Dec. 8 before the change.

“Because we moved it sooner, Joanna wasn’t ready for that fight,” UFC President Dana White said in an interview with ESPN. “Valentina…