Valentina Shevchenko -- the UFC's #2 ranked pound-for-pound female fighter -- tells TMZ Sports she is definitely down to scrap with Amanda Nunes for a third time ... in what'd be one of the biggest fights in the history of women's MMA.
We talked to the 33-year-old flyweight champion days before she's scheduled to fight Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 on September 25, and while Bullet clearly wants to continue dominating 125 pounds, she also knows another fight with the Lioness would be huge.
"I think if destiny puts this fight in front of us, most of us gonna do it. I'm kind of focused very much on my flyweight division and I just want to be better fight," Valentina says, adding, "and when [the third fight's] gonna happen, I'm here."
Of course, Shevchenko and 33-year-old Nunes previously fought twice -- in 2016 and 2017 -- in two tightly contested match-ups.
The first fight was at UFC 196 (McGregor vs. Diaz) ... where Nunes won by unanimous decision.
Valentina and Amanda rematched at UFC 215 (they were the main event) ... and Nunes again won -- this time by split decision -- in a razor close fight.
In fact, there are many people who believe Shevchenko won the second fight, and should've been crowned champ.
The 2 losses are Valentina's only defeats since late-2010. She's won 7 straight fights.
We also talked to Shevchenko about her future inside and outside the Octagon (she's got a movie coming out with Halle Berry and wants to continue acting).
But, before any movies or a trilogy fight with Nunes, VS says she's fully focused on Lauren Murphy ... and is definitely not overlooking the 38-year-old MMA fighter.