Top-ranked bantamweight contender Amanda “Lioness” Nunes steps back into the Octagon on March 5th at UFC 196: “Dos Anjos vs McGregor” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hard-hitting Brazilian takes on multi-time kickboxing world champion Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko in a featured matchup.

UFC officials announced the fight on Thursday. Nunes has won four of her five UFC bouts and she most recently submitted former title challenger Sara McMann in August. Shevchenko won her short-notice UFC debut this past month when she defeated former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman.

Nunes (11-4-0) was on the cusp of title contention in 2014 before suffering a third-round TKO loss to “Alpha” Cat Zingano at UFC 178. She rebounded from the disappointing setback by destroying Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler in March and picked up her biggest UFC victory to date when she submitted McMann with a first-round rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 73. A third straight win will likely earn Nunes a shot at the coveted UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship, which will be on the line later in the night in the UFC 196 co-main event.

Shevchenko (13-1-0) has competed all over the world during her storied kickboxing career, but the 27-year-old has recently shifted her focus to MMA in hopes of becoming a UFC world champion. After putting together a solid four-fight winning streak, Shevchenko stepped in on very short notice to face Kaufman at UFC on FOX 17 in December. She controlled two rounds of the fight and walked away with a well-deserved decision victory. Her impressive performance elevated her into contender status, and she now looks to score another big win by defeating Nunes in March.

UFC 196: “Dos Anjos vs McGregor” takes place on March 5th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between Rafael dos Anjos and current featherweight titleholder “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, and also features a UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship battle between champ Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and challenger Miesha “Cupcake” Tate.

(Photo Credit: UFC)