Magic Bullet: How Shevchenko blasted onto the world title scene

For the first time ever, a UFC women's bantamweight championship bout doesn't involve superstars Ronda Rousey or Miesha Tate.

One half of the equation, current titleholder Amanda Nunes, has already carved out a niche for herself with her dominant performances, but UFC 213 main-event opponent Valentina Shevchenko is still relatively unknown.

Where did Shevchenko come from? A Muay Thai standout, "Bullet" competed sporadically in MMA from 2003-14 before joining the UFC at the tail end of 2015. Four fights later, she became the undisputed No. 1 contender at 135 pounds.

A look at her three UFC conquests tells you all you need to know about Shevchenko's extraordinary arc.

Sarah Kaufman (UFC on FOX 17)

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Taking a fight on short notice is tough enough. Signing on to face a former Strikeforce champion eight days before an event is just asking for trouble.

But that's exactly what Shevchenko did when she agreed to replace an injured Germaine de Randamie against Kaufman on Dec. 19, 2015. The newcomer surprised many by taking the fight to Kaufman right away, using slick trips to gain a grappling advantage as opposed to relying on her kickboxing arsenal.

Shevchenko's strategy paid off as she survived a late burst of offense from Kaufman to win a split decision. It was the biggest victory of Shevchenko's career to date and her gutsy effort put her on the contenders' map.

Holly Holm (UFC on FOX 20)

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Shevchenko faltered in her second outing, losing to Nunes by unanimous decision at UFC 196. If it was too much, too soon, that apparently didn't matter to the matchmakers, who paired her up with Holm in the main event of a FOX card on July 23, 2016.

It was supposed to be a bounce-back fight for Holm after losing her UFC title to Tate in stunning fashion. A convincing win over Shevchenko would have set her up for an immediate rematch, or possibly even a long-awaited second meeting with Rousey.

Then Shevchenko had to muck it all up by outstriking Holm, a decorated boxer.

For five rounds, Holm simply couldn't figure Shevchenko out. Her attempts to advance were stifled by counters and she was repeatedly beaten to the punch by her less-heralded opponent.

This wasn't another narrow decision win for Shevchenko. All three judges awarded her the fight with 49-46 scores, and with it, a top-five spot in the UFC's rankings.

Julianna Pena (UFC on FOX 23)

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

This past January, the odds were finally in Shevchenko's favor. She didn't disappoint.

Pena had been touting herself as the next big thing, repeatedly calling out Rousey and boasting that she was worthy of a title shot based on a 4-0 UFC record that included a win over Cat Zingano. The matchmakers didn't budge, forcing Pena to compete against Shevchenko in a de facto No. 1 contender's bout.

Shevchenko made Pena pay for trying to jump the line, turning the tables on the aggressive grappler with a slick armbar submission in the second round of the UFC on FOX 23 main event. In one fell swoop, Shevchenko picked up the definitive finish she'd been looking for and a win over a would-be contender, cementing herself as the rightful challenger to Nunes' throne.

Shevchenko's story could hit one more peak this weekend if she can avenge her lone UFC loss and add the most prestigious MMA title in the world to her trophy case.