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Shevchenko: Nunes 'scared' of rematch

Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports

After dispatching former champion Holly Holm at UFC on FOX 20 on Saturday, Valentina Shevchenko's gaze has already turned to a rematch with UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who bested Shevchenko in March.

Nunes' unanimous decision victory over Shevchenko at UFC 196 helped propel her into title contention. But now that she has the belt around her waist after dominating Miesha Tate at UFC 200, Shevchenko believes the Brazilian is afraid of stepping back inside the Octagon with her.

"She's definitely scared," Shevchenko said is a post-fight interview, according to Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com. "I'm ready for five rounds, for sure. I will take whoever I need to fight next. But I think she's definitely scared."

Shevchenko's comments were in direct response to tweets from Nunes after the fight, which were relayed to Shevchenko by a reporter.

Nunes tweeted that "Bullet" must do more to earn herself a title shot, even proposing Shevchenko face fellow contender Julianna Pena next, with the victor then facing Nunes.

Even if a chance at the championship doesn't come straight away for Shevchenko, it remains her singular goal.

"I'm keeping my eyes on the bantamweight championship," Shevchenko said. "These are my plans. I hope to get my revenge against Amanda Nunes. I'll do my best to make sure this happens. I know perfectly well that I need to train hard. This I promise. I will always fight with all my heart in the Octagon."

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