When Holly Holm landed the head kick that rendered Ronda Rousey a former champion in November, only two fighters in the UFC women’s bantamweight division mattered.
Now, that number has doubled, if not tripled.
Holm (10-1) returns from her stunning fifth-round submission loss to Miesha Tate in March when she fights Valentina Shevchenko (12-2) at Chicago’s United Center to headline the Fox-televised “Fight Night” card at 5 p.m. Pacific on Saturday.
Tate was upset July 9 by new women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes by first-round submission, further altering the landscape.
UFC President Dana White has said when Rousey is ready to fight again after taking some time off, filming a movie and undergoing knee surgery, she will immediately fight for the belt.
Rousey has aimed for a November return in New York but may not be ready until January, according to a UFC official.
White admitted the void Friday when asked who Holm would fight if she wins Saturday, as expected.
“I have no clue yet,” White said in a text message.
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Holly Holm celebrates her victory over Ronda Rousey in their women’s bantamweight championship bout at UFC 193 event in Melbourne, Australia.
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Holly Holm, right, lands a kick to the neck to knock out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2015. (Paul Crock / AFP/Getty Images)
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Ronda Rousey, left, goes down after being knocked out by a kick to the neck from Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Ronda Rousey hits the canvas after being knocked out by Holly Holm.
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Ronda Rousey receives medical treatment after being knocked out by Holly Holm.
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Holly Holm, right, is declared the bantamweight champion after defeating Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
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Holly Holm wears the women’s bantamweight belt she won from Ronda Rousey during UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Holly Holm punches Ronda Rousey during their championship bout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia. UFC leadership says Holm’s next fight will be a rematch with Rousey. Holm’s camp wanted a fight against Miesha Tate while Rousey recovered from her first fight against Holm.
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Holly Holm, right, demonstrated all her skill and athleticism at UFC 193 with a second-round knockout of Ronda Rousey.
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Holly Holm, right, fights Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight belt at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Holly Holm, left, defeated Ronda Rousey by second-round knockout in UFC 193 in Australia to claim the women’s bantamweight title.
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Holly Holm, left, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history by defeating Ronda Rousey in November 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Quinn Rooney / Getty Images)
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Holly Holm, top, upset Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Ronda Rousey, center, appears focused as she walks toward the octagon for her UFC bantamweight title fight against Holly Holm.
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Joanna Jedrzejcyk, left, punches Valerie Letourneau during UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk, right, defeated Valerie Letourneau by unanimous decision at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia on Nov. 14, 2015. (Quinn Rooney / Getty Images)
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Mark Hunt, right, defeated Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Robert Whittaker, right, defeated Uriah Hall by unanimous decision at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Jared Rosholt, top, defeated Stefan Struve by unanimous decision during UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Jared Rosholt, right, and Stefan Struve compete at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Jake Matthews holds down Akbar Arreola during UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Akbarh Arreola looks on after his UFC 193 bout against Jake Matthews was stopped after the second round because of the swelling near Arreola’s eye.
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Jake Matthews celebrates his victory over Akbarh Arreola at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Kyle Noke, left, kicks Peter Sobotta on his way to a first-round technical knockout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Gian Villante, right, punches Anthony Perosh on his way to a first-round technical knockout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Danny Martinez defeated Richie Vaculik by unanimous decision at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Danny Martinez holds down Richie Vaculik at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Steve Montgomery, left, takes a hit during a loss to Dan Kelly at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Dan Kelly punches Steve Montgomery during their middleweight bout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Dan Kelly, right, used a late rally to beat Steve Montgomery at UFC 193 event in Melbourne, Australia.
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James Moontasri, right, kicks Anton Zafir during their welterweight bout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
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Ben Nguyen celebrates after defeating Ryan Benoit during their UFC 193 flyweight fight in Melbourne, Australia.
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Ben Nguyen, left, defeated Ryan Benoit by first-round submission during their UFC 193 fight in Melbourne, Australia.
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Richard Walsh, right, defeated Steven Kennedy by unanimous decision at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
(Quinn Rooney / Getty Images) The division’s depth, aided by the presence of top-five challenger Julianna Pena and former title contender Cat Zingano, has given the UFC a wealth of appealing potential matchups.
“Nobody has been promised, but we want Nunes,” Holm manager Lenny Fresquez told the Los Angeles Times in a Friday text message.
Nunes won the shot at Tate by defeating Shevchenko by unanimous decision on the Holm-Tate undercard.
Holm, a former pro boxing champion, was leading on scorecards when she found herself on the canvas and beaten by Tate.
“She’s just as tough, if not more, than what I had to face before,” Holm said of Shevchenko. “I’m really focused on trying to make the most of this fight because you’re not promised this opportunity. Who knows what’s next?”
Twitter: @latimespugmire
