UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko was mere hours away from her dream at UFC 213 when disaster struck. Champ Amanda Nunes was out.

It would be reasonable for Shevchenko to fear the same outcome two months later, when the rescheduled title fight is set to co-headline UFC 215. But she’s professes not to dwell.

“I’m trying to not think about this,” Shevchenko told MMAjunkie. “I hope it won’t happen again. But you never know.”

Shevchenko (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) didn’t say whether the UFC has a contingency plan, which might leave the promotion with less egg on its face in the event Nunes (14-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) suffers another attack of sinusitis and can’t fight. She is preparing for her second title opportunity as if the first cancelation didn’t even happen.

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“I know what I have to do – I have to prepare for this fight and be in my best shape, and I will do it,” Shevchenko said of her fight at the Sept. 9 pay-per-view event, which goes down at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The last time the 29-year-old Shevchenko faced off with Nunes, she left the octagon with a decision loss, the first in her UFC career. Since then, she’s beaten ex-champ Holly Holm and top contender Julianna Pena to climb back into contention.

Now, the two will face off in a rematch to see whether Nunes can stay atop the 135-pound division and rebuild the momentum she lost when health problems intervened.

Shevchenko, meanwhile, is aiming to be the new face of women’s bantamweight. It’s a goal fraught with many variables outside her control. But directing the thoughts that motivate her to train are not among them.

If she has to put the past out of her mind, it’s a necessary part of doing the job – even if that job isn’t guaranteed.

For more on UFC 215, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.