A pivotal matchup of bantamweight contenders will top the UFC on Fox 23 bill in Denver when Julianna Pena meets Valentina Shevchenko on Jan. 28.
Promotion officials announced the 135-pound pairing on Tuesday. UFC on Fox 23 takes place at the Pepsi Center and also includes a middleweight showdown between Hector Lombard and Brad Tavares. The evening’s main card airs on the Fox Network.
Pena has won four straight bouts in the Octagon since emerging from Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The 27-year-old Spokane, Wash., resident solidified herself as a top contender with a unanimous decision victory over former No.