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Valentina Shevchenko

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Valentina Shevchenko
Born
Valentina Anatolyevna Shevchenko

(1988-03-07) March 7, 1988 (age 38)
Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)Mixed martial artist, Muay Thai practitioner, kickboxer, professional boxer
Years active2003–present
Known forTwo-time UFC Women's Flyweight Champion, first UFC champion from Kyrgyzstan

Valentina Anatolyevna Shevchenko (born March 7, 1988) is a professional mixed martial artist from Kyrgyzstan, with a background in Muay Thai and kickboxing. She fights in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she currently holds the title as a two-time UFC Women's Flyweight Champion and is the first athlete from Kyrgyzstan to claim a UFC championship. As of September 17, 2024, she is ranked number one in the UFC women's pound-for-pound standings.

Early and personal life

Born on March 7, 1988, in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union, Shevchenko comes from a Russian-Ukrainian military family. She identifies ethnically as Russian and speaks Russian as her first language. Her family has held citizenships of both the Soviet Union and later Kyrgyzstan. Her mother, Elena Shevchenko, serves as president of Kyrgyzstan’s national Muay Thai federation and is a former multiple-time champion herself. Her father, Anatoly Shevchenko, was a member of the Soviet Navy’s Pacific Fleet and played for Kyrgyzstan’s national football squad.

Inspired by her mother and elder sister Antonina, Valentina started practicing Taekwondo at age five before expanding her training to include Muay Thai kickboxing and freestyle Vale Tudo by age twelve. She began her kickboxing career in 2000, achieving a notable knockout victory at just twelve years old, which earned her the nickname "Bullet" due to her exceptional speed. In 2007, she moved to Peru with her trainer and sister to teach martial arts and later obtained Peruvian citizenship. Valentina is multilingual, fluent in Russian, English, Spanish, and also conversant in Thai.

Shevchenko earned an undergraduate degree in Film Directing from the National Academy of Arts of the Kyrgyz Republic and was honored with the title of Honored Professor by the institution in December 2021. In April 2019, she received the Dank Order from Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov for her international representation of Kyrgyzstan. Valentina and Antonina made history at UFC 255 as the first sisters to fight on the same UFC event card.

Muay Thai and kickboxing career

Between 2003 and 2015, Shevchenko amassed over 90 victories across amateur and professional bouts in K-1, Muay Thai, and kickboxing disciplines, including eight wins by technical knockout and two by knockout. Her initial kickboxing defeat came against Debby Urkens (WFCA) in 2008, followed by a loss to Cong Wang in 2015. Throughout this period, she claimed eight gold medals at IFMA World Championships (2003–2014) and won the IMFA Royal World Cup in 2015. Among her notable victories are three wins over future UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk and one over future UFC competitor Lina Länsberg. Shevchenko is widely regarded as one of the premier female Muay Thai practitioners worldwide.

Early career

Shevchenko began her professional MMA journey at age fifteen on April 21, 2003, securing a second-round TKO victory against Eliza Aidaralieva. Competing within regional promotions across Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and South Korea, she maintained an undefeated streak over six consecutive fights—all ending in first-round finishes—before taking a hiatus from MMA in 2006 to concentrate on Muay Thai and kickboxing.

Her MMA return occurred in the United States on September 30, 2010, when she faced future UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche at C3 Fights in Concho, Oklahoma. Although Shevchenko controlled much of the early action, she lost via a contentious doctor stoppage caused by a cut from an illegal upkick; no foul was officially called, resulting in a TKO victory for Carmouche. She then rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Akjarkyn Baiturbaeva—the first time she won by decision—before another break during which she continued competing as an amateur Muay Thai fighter.

In 2013, Shevchenko signed with South American promotion Fusion FC where she recorded two TKO victories within two months, improving her professional MMA record to 10–1.

Legacy Fighting Championship

In 2014, Legacy FC brought Shevchenko on board for both MMA and kickboxing competitions. On February 27, 2015, at Legacy Fighting Championship 39, she secured a unanimous decision victory against Jan Finney.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Shevchenko made her UFC debut stepping in on short notice to face Sarah Kaufman at UFC on Fox 17, emerging victorious via split decision. During her second UFC bout at UFC 196, she was defeated by Amanda Nunes through a unanimous decision, despite delivering a strong performance in the third round.

In July 2016, at UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko, she bounced back with a commanding unanimous decision win over former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm.

Shevchenko then competed against Julianna Peña in what was considered a potential title eliminator at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña in January 2017. She won by submission via armbar in the second round and earned her first Performance of the Night award.

UFC Bantamweight title fight

A rematch with women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was scheduled for July 8, 2017, at UFC 213, but Nunes withdrew due to illness on fight day despite being medically cleared. Joanna Jędrzejczyk offered to step in as a replacement; however, the Nevada State Athletic Commission could not approve her participation on such short notice.

The rematch was rescheduled for UFC 215 on September 9, 2017, in Edmonton, Alberta. After a closely contested battle, Shevchenko lost via split decision (48–47, 48–47, and 47–48). Although she disagreed with the judges’ verdict, she accepted the result respectfully. Among 22 media outlets covering the fight, 10 scored it for Nunes, another 10 for Shevchenko, and 2 declared it a draw.

Flyweight division

In September 2017, Shevchenko announced her intention to transition to the 125-pound flyweight category.

On February 3, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 125, she faced newcomer Priscila Cachoeira, dominating with a rear-naked choke submission in the second round after outstriking her opponent by a margin of 230 to 3. This dominant display earned her another Performance of the Night bonus.

She was slated to challenge champion Nicco Montaño on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228. However, Montaño was hospitalized due to complications from weight cutting before the weigh-ins; as a result, the fight was canceled and Montaño was stripped of the Women's Flyweight title. Subsequently, UFC officials announced that Shevchenko would compete for the vacant flyweight championship later that year.

UFC Women's Flyweight Championship

On September 20, 2018, it was confirmed that Shevchenko would return to Flyweight to face Joanna Jędrzejczyk on December 8, 2018, at UFC 231 for the vacant UFC Women's Flyweight Championship.<ref> Initially scheduled to fight Sijara Eubanks at UFC 230, Shevchenko’s bout was canceled after the main event between Daniel Cormier and Derrick Lewis was finalized; she then returned to face Jędrzejczyk at UFC 231.<ref> Shevchenko claimed victory over Jędrzejczyk by unanimous decision (49–46 across all judges’ scorecards), becoming the new UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion.<ref>

Her first defense came against Jessica Eye at UFC 238 on June 8, 2019,<ref> where she won by knockout via head kick in the second round and secured another Performance of the Night bonus.<ref>

On August 10, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 156, Shevchenko defended her title against Liz Carmouche.<ref> Having previously lost to Carmouche in a regional contest in 2010 due to a doctor stoppage from a cut, Shevchenko reversed that outcome by winning unanimously (50–45 from all judges).<ref>

Her third successful defense occurred on February 8, 2020, at UFC 247, where she defeated Katlyn Chookagian by TKO in the third round.<ref>

She was scheduled to face Joanne Calderwood at UFC 250 on June 6, 2020,<ref> but withdrew because of a leg injury.<ref>

For her fourth defense on November 21, 2020, at UFC 255, Shevchenko overcame Jennifer Maia by unanimous decision (49–46 from all judges).<ref>

In her fifth defense at UFC 261 on April 24, 2021,<ref> she dominated former Strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade, winning via TKO in the second round.<ref>

She successfully defended her belt for the sixth time against Lauren Murphy on September 25, 2021, during UFC 266, earning a technical knockout victory in the fourth round.<ref>

Her seventh title defense took place on June 12, 2022, at UFC 275, where she narrowly defeated Taila Santos by split decision (49–46, 48–47, and 47–48) and received the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night award paid in bitcoin valued at US$30,000.<ref>

At UFC 285 on March 4, 2023,<ref> Shevchenko faced Alexa Grasso and lost her championship via submission in the fourth round—marking her first loss at Flyweight and first submission defeat overall.<ref>

Their rematch occurred on September 16, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 227, ending controversially in a split draw. One judge scored the final round as a dominant (10-8) round for Grasso; however, Shevchenko disputed this under UFC’s updated scoring system claiming she controlled that round. Had it been scored differently in her favor, she would have regained the title.<ref>

On February 9, 2024,<ref> both fighters were announced as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 on ESPN+, featuring middleweight and featherweight competitors.<ref> The trilogy bout took place on September 14, 2024 at UFC 306, where Shevchenko earned a commanding unanimous decision victory after largely controlling the fight duration. This win made her the only athlete to hold the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship twice.<ref>

She successfully defended her championship against Manon Fiorot on May 10, 2025 at UFC 315, securing a unanimous decision win.<ref>

Professional boxing career

Shevchenko made her professional boxing debut on May 8, 2010, at Coliseo Marotta in Callao, Peru, where she secured a unanimous decision victory over the seasoned Brazilian fighter Halanna dos Santos. Throughout the match, she employed a conventional kickboxing stance combined with Muay Thai and grappling maneuvers, which led to objections but did not result in any penalties.

In 2011, it was revealed that Shevchenko would challenge boxing champion Melissa Hernandez for the WIBA Lightweight title. This announcement generated controversy due to Shevchenko's lack of ranking and limited professional experience, having only one fight at the time. After Hernandez reportedly faced pressure and potential stripping of her title for declining to defend against Shevchenko, she relinquished the belt, describing the challenge as "a slap in the face" and reaffirming her commitment to women's boxing. Subsequently, lightweight titleholder Ann Saccurato was scheduled to compete against Shevchenko for the vacant championship; however, the bout was ultimately canceled.

On December 17, 2011, Shevchenko achieved a fourth-round technical knockout over Nerys Rincon in Lima, Peru. Despite protests, she once again integrated kickboxing and Muay Thai grappling techniques into her strategy.

Shevchenko was set to contend with accomplished boxer Mary McGee for the vacant WIBA Lightweight championship on January 14, 2012, in Lima. Nevertheless, she withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Duda Yankovich.

Fighting style

Renowned as an accomplished kickboxer, Shevchenko is distinguished by her accurate counter-striking and remarkable skill in reading an opponent's striking range before launching a response. She has acknowledged the difficulty of adjusting this approach within mixed martial arts due to the diverse fighting styles encountered, ranging from wrestlers to stand-up fighters.

Her counters frequently involve swift right hooks, spinning wheel kicks, or spinning back fists. On offense, she often utilizes advancing right hooks, combinations of two punches, and outside leg kicks—typically delivered either early in rounds or following a flurry of strikes.

In addition to her striking prowess, Shevchenko holds a black belt in Judo and demonstrates strong grappling capabilities. This is reflected in her successful takedowns against fighters such as Holly Holm, Jéssica Andrade, and Alexa Grasso, as well as submission victories via armbar and rear-naked choke against Julianna Peña and Priscila Cachoeira, respectively.

Other ventures

In 2013, Shevchenko emerged victorious in the fourth season of the Peruvian dance competition Combate, broadcast on ATV, alongside her partner Alejandro “Zumba” Benitez. During this show, she also secured an exhibition wrestling win by submission against Peruvian middleweight boxer David Zegarra in under a minute.

By 2015, Shevchenko had been appointed to the executive board of the IFMA, representing its athletic commission. In Peru, she acted as an ambassador for IFMA's "Sport is Your Gang" program—an initiative that offers Muay Thai training to at-risk youth as an alternative to gang involvement. This project received the Muaythai Spirit of Sport Award in 2014.

Since 2010, Shevchenko has actively participated in pistol shooting competitions including events organized by the IPSC, IDPA, and 3-Gun. Her firearms training began in 2006 under Pavel Fedotov, a coach with Soviet army experience.

Shevchenko appears as a playable character in several video games: EA Sports UFC 2, EA Sports UFC 3, EA Sports UFC 4, and EA Sports UFC 5. Notably, she shares cover athlete status on EA Sports UFC 5 alongside MMA competitor Alexander Volkanovski.

In cinema, Shevchenko featured in the 2020 Netflix sports drama Bruised, directed by and starring Halle Berry. She portrayed Lucia "Lady Killer" Chavez—an Argentinian MMA champion who serves as Berry's character’s rival. The two were also jointly showcased on the digital cover of Women's Health magazine’s December 2021 edition.

Film

Year Title Character Remarks
2020 Bruised Lucia "Lady Killer" Chavez

Mixed martial arts

  • MMAJunkie.com
    • Awarded June 2019 Knockout of the Month vs. Jessica Eye
  • CombatPress.com
    • Honored as 2020 Female Fighter of the Year
  • Cageside Press
    • Recognized as 2020 Female Fighter of the Year
  • BT Sport
    • Named Female Fighter of the Year for both 2020 and 2021
  • Daily Mirror
    • Awarded 2021 Female Fighter of the Year
  • World MMA Awards
    • Recipient of 2022 Female Fighter of the Year accolade
  • Fight Matrix
    • Co-recipient of 2019 Female Fighter of the Year alongside Amanda Nunes
    • Awarded Female Fighter of the Year for 2020 and 2021

Kickboxing

  • Holder of the Kunlun Fight Women's Lightweight Championship with one successful title defense
  • Champion of the 2014 Kunlun Fight Female -60kg One Night Tournament
  • 2013 World K-1 Champion under WKC in Peru (60 kg category)
  • 2013 World K-1 Champion under WKC in Mexico (60 kg division)
  • 2005 KF-1 MMA Pro World Champion in Seoul, Korea (57 kg class)
  • 2004 World Kickboxing Champion recognized by WAKO in Italy (56 kg)
  • 2003 KF-1 MMA Pro World Champion in Seoul, Korea (55 kg weight class)
  • Bronze medalist at the 2003 World Kickboxing Championship by WAKO in France (56 kg)
  • Winner of the 2003 Asia Cup (55 kg)
  • Kyrgyzstan National Champion in 2002 (55 kg)

Judo

  • National Champion of Kyrgyzstan in 2002 competing at 58 kg

Boxing

  • Russian Women's National Amateur Champion in 2007 (57 kg category)

Taekwondo

  • Gold medalist at the 2005 European Championships for both ITF and WTF (58 kg)
  • Team Pattern Gold Medalist at the 2005 ITF and WTF European Championships
  • Bronze medal winner at the 2003 ITF World Championship (58 kg)
  • ITF Asian Championship Gold Medalist in 2002 (58 kg)

Muay Thai

  • Champion of the 2015 I.F.M.A. Royal World Cup Tournament (60 kg)
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion in 2014 competing at 60 kg
  • Gold medalist in Muay Thai at the 2013 World Combat Games (60 kg)
  • WMC Muaythai Female Super Lightweight World Champion in 2012
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion again in 2012 (60 kg)
  • Silver medalist at the 2011 I.F.M.A. World Championship (60 kg)
  • South American Champion under WMC-I.F.M.A. in 2011 (63.5 kg)
  • Panamerican Champion by I.F.M.A. in 2010 (60 kg)
  • Secured gold at the 2010 World Combat Games Muay Thai event (60 kg)
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion for the weight class of 63.5 kg in 2010
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion titleholder in 2009 at 60 kg
  • Crowned I.F.M.A. World Champion in 2008 competing at 57 kg
  • Russian National Champion under R.M.F. in 2008 (57 kg)
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion again in 2007 at 57 kg
  • R.M.F. Russian National Champion also achieved in 2007 (57 kg)
  • I.F.M.A. World Champion title earned in 2006 competing at 57 kg
  • WMF World Champion crowned in Thailand, 2006 (57 kg)
  • Secured the I.F.M.A. World Championship title in 2003 competing at 57 kg

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Win |align=center|25–4–1 |Manon Fiorot |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 315 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |- |Win |align=center|24–4–1 |Alexa Grasso |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 306 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Draw |align=center|23–4–1 |Alexa Grasso |Draw (split) |UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|23–4 |Alexa Grasso |Submission (face crank) |UFC 285 | |align=center|4 |align=center|4:34 | |-

|- Win |align=center|16–3 |Jessica Eye |KO (head kick) | | | | | | |- Win |}


Pay-Per-View Events

No. Event Matchup Date Venue City PPV Purchases
1. UFC 215 Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 September 9, 2017 Rogers Place Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 100,000

Boxing Professional Record

No. Outcome Record Adversary Method Round, Time Date Location Remarks
2 Template:Yes2 2–0 Nerys Rincon RTD 4 (10) 17 Dec 2011 Coliseo ReserClub de Pueblo Libre, Lima, Peru
1 Template:Yes2 1–0 Halanna Dos Santos UD 10 8 May 2010 Coliseo Marotta, Callao, Peru

Kickboxing and Muay Thai Professional Record

|- style="background:#fbb;" | 2015-10-31 || Defeat ||align=left| Wang Cong || Kunlun Fight 33 || Changde, China || Decision (Unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Lost the Kunlun Fight Women's Lightweight Championship -60 kg. |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2015-07-24 || Victory ||align=left| Anke Van Gestel || Legacy Kickboxing 3 || Houston, Texas, United States || Decision (Unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2015-01-16 || Victory ||align=left| Lindsay Haycraft || Legacy Kickboxing 1 || Houston, Texas, United States || Decision (Unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2014-10-05 || Victory ||align=left| Chali Bassinah || Kunlun Fight 11 || Macau, China || Decision (Unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Successfully defended the Kunlun Fight Women's Lightweight Championship -60 kg. |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2014-08-31 || Victory ||align=left| Irina Mazepa || Kunlun Fight 9 - Legend of Mulan Tournament, Final || Shangqiu, China || KO (High kick) || 1 || 2:59 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Captured the Kunlun Fight Women's Lightweight Championship and the Kunlun Fight One Night Tournament Champions titles at -60 kg. |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2014-08-31 || Victory ||align=left| Yang Yang || Kunlun Fight 9 - Legend of Mulan Tournament, Semi-finals || Shangqiu, China || Decision (Unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2014-08-31 || Victory ||align=left| Elisa Qualizza || Kunlun Fight 9 - Legend of Mulan Tournament, Quarter Finals || Shangqiu, China || Decision (Unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2013-12-01|| Victory||align=left| Maria Ruso|| WKL Championship|| Cordoba, Argentina|| Decision (Unanimous)||5||2:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2013-06-22|| Victory||align=left| Fabiana Dutra|| South American Muay Thai Championship|| Asunción, Paraguay|| TKO (Spinning back kick to the body)||1||1:31 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2013-03-02|| Victory||align=left| Malena Muñoz|| WKC K-1 World Championships|| Lima, Peru|| TKO (Spinning back kick to the body)||1||2:30 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Maintained the WKC K-1 Lightweight World Championship at -60 kg. |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2013-01-06|| Victory||align=left| Tania Gonzales|| WKC K-1 World Championships|| Mexico|| Decision (Unanimous)||3||3:00 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Secured the WKC K-1 Lightweight World Championship at -60 kg. |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2012-12-02|| Victory||align=left| Patricia Silva|| Super Luta Feminina|| Porto Alegre, Brazil|| Decision (Unanimous)||4||3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2012-08-24|| Victory||align=left| Laura Soledad Griffa|| Titulo Mondial de Kickboxing|| Lima, Peru|| Decision (Unanimous)||4||3:00 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2012-04-28|| Victory||align=left| Stephanie Ielö Page|| Double championnat du monde WMC|| Brest, France|| Decision (Unanimous)||5||3:00 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Earned the title of World Muaythai Council Female world champions Super Lightweight World Champion. |- style="background:#cfc;" ... [record continues with similar structure but omitted here for brevity] ...

Amateur Kickboxing and Muay Thai Record

|- style="background:#cfc;" ... [highlighted significant victories and titles focusing on business-relevant accomplishments] ... |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Achieved numerous gold medals, including:

  • I.F.M.A. Royal World Cup Tournament Gold -60 kg division (2015)
  • I.F.M.A. World Championship Golds in -57 kg and -60 kg weight classes (2007–2014)
  • WMF World Championship Gold in the -57 kg category (2006)
  • WAKO Full Contact World Championship Gold at -56 kg (2004)
  • I.F.M.A. Panamerican Championship Gold in the -60 kg division (2009)
  • World Combat Games Muay Thai Gold Medals in the -60 kg category (2010 and 2013)

|}


See also

External links

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