Backup Fighter for UFC 231 Co-Main Event Revealed

The co-main event of UFC 231 has two of the most reliable and professional athletes you will ever encounter in Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. But with all the busted cards and unwanted surprises of the past couple of years, the UFC has started to embrace the concept of the contingency plan, and Saturday’s co-main event is no exception. During media day, Katlyn Chookagian revealed that she was directly told that she will be the backup for the co-main event, but she vows not to let that disrupt her focus from whom is ahead of her:

“I’m fully focused on Jessica,” Chookagian said today at a media day in support of UFC 231. “… I try to not focus on the opponent, but me. If I prepare for Jessica Eye and something happens and they switch opponents, I’ll be prepared the best that I’m prepared. I always have good conditioning, so if it goes from three to five rounds, that’s usually better for me. I prefer five rounds.”

Even if she does not fill in for the co-main event, Chookagian is confident that she can ensure that she gets a flyweight title shot in the near future:

“Besides the two girls fighting in the co-main event, we’re the only ones being talked about and taken seriously in this division, so I definitely think this is a No. 1 contender fight,” Chookagian said.