MMA Career Retrospective: Valentina Shevchenko

Nearly a year removed from their epic Noche UFC clash that resulted in a hotly-contested split draw, No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko battles UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso for a third time at UFC 306. The pair will co-headline the massive event at the world-famous Las Vegas Sphere, where Shevchenko will look to begin a second title reign at 125 lbs. 

With a combat sports career that spans more than 20 years, “The Bullet” remains one of the most storied female fighters of all time, having won multiple titles across several different disciplines like Muay-Thai, kickboxing, and judo. In front of millions watching around the world on Saturday night, she will attempt to add even more to her impeccable legacy by becoming the fifth UFC women’s champion to successfully regain her strap.  

Valentina Shevchenko: The Early Years

Born in Frunze (now Bishkek), Kyrgyzstan in 1988, it almost seemed inevitable that Shevchenko was inevitably going to walk the path of a top-level athlete. Both of her parents had previously competed in various sports, with her father having been a part of the national football team in Kyrgyzstan and her mother being a former Muay-Thai champion. Her older sister, Antonina, would also go on to become a future UFC fighter.

It didn’t take long for the young Shevchenko to begin her own journey into combat sports, as she first started training in taekwondo at only age five.

By the time she was 12, she was already taking fights and demonstrating unbelievable skills beyond her years, including knocking out an opponent who was 10 years older than her in one bout.

It was because of said knockout that she was given the nickname that she would soon become synonymous with, “Bullet.” From here, Shevchenko flourished on the international combat sports scene, acquiring countless accolades like 10 gold medals in Muay-Thai, two K-1 Kickboxing titles, and even an amateur women’s boxing championship. 

Shevchenko Turns to MMA

Beginning her mixed martial arts career in 2003, Shevchenko amassed a sterling professional record of 12-1 (with her only loss coming against Liz Carmouche) by the time she was called up to the UFC in 2015. Making her debut at UFC on FOX: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2, “Bullet” just barely squeezed out a split decision win against Sarah Kaufman. 

Her sophomore outing wouldn’t go in her favor, however, with Shevchenko losing a unanimous decision to a competitor who would become the greatest female combat sports athlete of all time, Amanda Nunes. Fortunately, for Shevchenko, she wound up getting another chance at “The Lioness” after picking up two more victories against Holly Holm and Julianna Peña, taking on Nunes for a second time at UFC 215 for the women’s bantamweight championship. Sadly, she also came up short in the rematch, this time by controversial split decision.

A Move to Flyweight and a Title Claimed

Following her second loss to Nunes, Shevchenko moved down in weight to the 125-lb.  division, taking out Priscila Cachoeira in her first fight in the weight class since 2006. The win granted “Bullet” a chance to contend for the vacant flyweight title against a familiar adversary in Joanna Jędrzejczyk, making it their fourth overall encounter after Shevchenko had defeated her thrice before during their Muay-Thai days. Thoroughly demolishing her Polish adversary for 25 minutes, Shevchenko utterly breezed her way to a unanimous decision victory to claim her first ever MMA strap.  

In one of the more unrivaled championship reigns in MMA history, the Kyrgyz embarked on a nearly-unstoppable warpath as the 125-lb. queen. For the next four years, she would notch seven sterling title defenses (the most of any UFC women’s champion ever), including finishes over noteworthy contenders like Jessica Eye, Katlyn Cerminara, Jéssica Andrade, and Lauren Murphy.

Grasso Claims Title and a Draw in Chapter Two

When she stepped into the cage to face Alexa Grasso at UFC 285, Shevchenko had not lost a fight in six years and was gargantuan favorite on the betting lines. Surprisingly, though, the champion found herself in trouble at several points on the feet due to Grasso’s top notch boxing. After a missed spinning heel kick attempt in round four, the challenger swiftly got hold of Shevchenko’s back, dragged her to the canvas and shocked the world by submitting the once-believed invincible flyweight champion with a brutal face crank. 

The upset rocked the realm of combat sports to its core, setting the stage for a highly-anticipated rematch six months later at the UFC’s first Noche event. The pair did not disappoint in their second meeting, with both women nearly finishing each other several times over the course of the thrilling five round barnburner.

By the time it was over, an air of uncertainty loomed over the arena, as the fight had appeared dead even going into the fifth stanza. This was reflected on the judge’s cards, who ultimately scored it an unexpected split draw, causing much confusion and debate within the MMA community. 

Round Three Saturday Night

Now, after almost a year, “Bullet” will have another chance at usurping Grasso from the 125-lb. throne at UFC 306. While she may be 36 years old, the former champion is hellbent on proving that she has more than enough left in the tank to vanquish the current pound-for-pound best female fighter on the planet. In what will most likely be an action-packed co-main event, one of the greatest trilogies in women’s MMA will be decided.