Valentina Shevchenko Biography: Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko is a professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter from Kyrgyzstan and Peru. She is currently competing in the women’s flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where is the former UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. In 2024, she was ranked in the number 1 position in the women’s flyweight rankings, and also she was ranked number 3 position in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Valentina Shevchenko Biography
Valentina Shevchenko was born on March 7, 1988, in Frunze, Kirghizia, USSR, to a Russian-Ukrainian family. As of 2024, she is 36 years old. However, she describes herself as “Russian” in a Russian interview, and her native language is Russian. Her family was initially Soviet and later Kyrgyzstani. Her mother, Elena Shevchenko, is the national Muay Thai Association of Kyrgyzstan president and a multiple-time Muay Thai champion. During the Cold War, her father, Anatoly Shevchenko, served three years in the Pacific Fleet of the Soviet Navy and played for the Kyrgyzstan national football team.
Valentina Shevchenko Wiki
| Name | Valentina Shevchenko |
| Date Of Birth | March 7, 1988 |
| Age | 36 years old (as of 2024) |
| Birth Place | Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 5ft 5inch |
| Weight | 57Kg |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Car Collection | N/A |
Also Read: Michelle Waterson Biography, Wiki, Net Worth, Husband, UFC, Career, Record
Valentina Shevchenko’s Net Worth
Valentina Shevchenko has an estimated net worth of over $5 million
Valentina Shevchenko MMA Career
Shevchenko made her professional mixed martial arts debut against Eliza Aidaralieva on April 21, 2003, at the Kyrgyz Federation of Kulatuu at the age of fifteen. She won by knockout in the second round. Competing in regional Kyrgyz, Russian, and Korean promotions, she went undefeated in her next six bouts, finishing all of them in the first round, before deciding to take a break from mixed martial arts in 2006 to concentrate on her Muay Thai and kickboxing career.
She returned to active competition and made her U.S. debut on September 30, 2010, at C3 Fights in Concho, Oklahoma, against future UFC title contender Liz Carmouche. Despite dominating her opponent for most of the first round, Shevchenko suffered her first defeat following a controversial medical stoppage due to a significant cut caused by an illegal up-kick.
The referee chose not to call a violation, which would have resulted in a disqualification victory for Shevchenko. Instead, the doctor stopped the fight and declared a technical knockout victory for Carmouche. Shevchenko continued to compete in amateur Muay Thai bouts during this time.
She returned in 2013 under the banner of a South American MMA promotion called Fusion FC, where she earned two TKO victories with only two months in between bouts. With these victories, her professional record improved to 10-1.
Valentina Shevchenko UFC Career
Valentina Shevchenko made her UFC debut against Sarah Kaufman at UFC on Fox 17 as a late replacement for Germaine de Randamie. She won the bout by a split decision (28–29, 29–28, and 29–28). On March 5, 2016, at UFC 196, Shevchenko faced Amanda Nunes in her second bout for the promotion. Although she had a solid and fantastic performance in the third round, her slow start in the first two rounds allowed Nunes to win. She was defeated via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, and 29-27).
On July 23, 2016, Shevchenko competed against former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm at UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko. After losing the first round, she rallied to gain control of the bout and win by unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46).
Shevchenko fought Julianna Pea in the main event of UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Pea on January 28, 2017, in an upcoming title eliminator match. She won the fight in the second round by armbar submission. Shevchenko earned her first Performance of the Night incentive with the victory.
Shevchenko fought Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 on September 25, 2021. She defended her title for the sixth time through a fourth-round technical knockout. Shevchenko fought Taila Santos at UFC 275 on June 12, 2022. In a close bout, she won by split decision (49–46, 48–47, and 47–48). This struggle earned her the Crypto.com “Fan Bonus of the Night” awards of US$30,000 in bitcoin for first place, paid in bitcoin.
Valentina fought Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. She unexpectedly lost the match and the championship via a face crank in the fourth round. This was her first career loss at Flyweight, first by submission in the UFC, and first time being submitted in her MMA career.
On September 16, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 227, Shevchenko faced Alexa Grasso in a rematch for the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship. The game concluded in a 2-2 tie. The result was contentious because one of the judges rated Alexa Grasso 10-8 in the last round; if he had scored it 10-9, Valentina would have won the fight and hence the title.
In February 2024, it was officially announced that Valentina Shevchenko and Grasso would be the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 32 on ESPN+, which will be featuring contestants from the middleweight and featherweight divisions.
