Quick Facts
Biography
Valentina Shevchenko (Russian: Валентина Анатольевна Шевченко; born (1988-03-07)March 7, 1988) is a Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian muay thai fighter and mixed martial artist, who competes in the women's bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Early life
Valentina Shevchenko was born in Frunze, Kirghizia, USSR on March 7, 1988, and became interested in fighting sports at an early age. She began with taekwondo at age 5, under the influence of her mother who had practiced the sport and of her older sister Antonina. At age 12 she branched out into Muay Thai kickboxing then free style Vale Tudo. Her kickboxing career began in Kyrgyzstan when at age 12 she knocked out a 22-year-old opponent, earning her the moniker "Bullet" from her trainer Pavel Fedotov because of her speed in the ring.
Professional kickboxing career
Shevchenko has held several kickboxing and muay thai titles, such as the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur World Championships and World Muaythai Council and been highly regarded as one of the best female Muay Thai fighters in the world. Shevchenko has a 56-2 professional record as in Muay Thai/K-1 defeating the likes of Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Caley Reece.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Valentina Shevchenko has competed in mixed martial arts since 2003 compiling a record of 14-2.
Legacy Fighting Championship
In 2014 it was announced that Legacy FC had signed Shevchenko for MMA and kickboxing. On February 27, 2015, Shevchenko faced Jan Finney at Legacy Fighting Championship 39, winning the fight via unanimous decision.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Shevchenko made her UFC debut as a short-notice replacement for Germaine de Randamie against Sarah Kaufman at UFC on Fox 17. She won the fight via split decision.
In her second fight for the promotion, Shevchenko faced Amanda Nunes on March 5, 2016, at UFC 196. Although she made an impressive and strong performance in the third round, her slow start in the first two gave the rounds to Nunes. She lost the fight by unanimous decision.
In her third fight for the promotion, Shevchenko faced former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm at UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko on July 23rd, 2016. After losing the first round to Holm, she rallied back to dominate the fight and won a dominant, unanimous decision.
Shevchenko faced Julianna Peña in a possible title eliminator match in the main event at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña on January 28, 2017. She won the fight by armbar in the second round. The win also earned Shevchenko her first Performance of the Night bonus.
Shevchenko is now expected to fight for the bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes in a rematch of the unanimous decision loss to the current champion at UFC 196.
Fighting style
A decorated Muay Thai Fighter/kickboxer, Shevchenko is known for precise and calculated striking and clinchwork. While standing with opponents, she constantly varies between high punches and body shots, also utilizing knees, elbows, high front kicks and spinning back kick counters.
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing
- Kunlun Fight Women's Lightweight Championship (1 Title Defense)
- 2014 Kunlun Fight Female -60kg Tournament Champion
- 2013 World K-1 Champion WKC, Peru
(60 kg) - 2013 World K-1 Champion WKC, Mexico (60 kg)
- 2006 World Muay Thai WMF Champion, Thailand (57 kg)
- 2005 World Champion KF-1 MMA Pro, Korea, Seoul (57 kg)
- 2004 World Kickboxing Champion WAKO, Italy (56кg)
- 2003 World Champion KF-1 MMA Pro, Korea, Seoul (55 kg)
(60 kg)Muay Thai
- 2015 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -60 kg
- 2014 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -60 kg
- 2013 World Combat Games -60 kg/132 lb Muay Thai Gold Medalist
- 2012 WMC Muaythai Female Super Lightweight World Champion
- 2012 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -60 kg
- 2010 World Combat Games -60 kg/132 lb Muay Thai Gold Medalist
- 2010 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -63.5 kg
- 2009 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -60 kg
- 2008 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -57 kg
- 2007 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -57 kg
- 2006 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -57 kg
- 2003 I.F.M.A. Royal World cup Tournament Championships -57 kg
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time)
- "Valentina Shevchenko". Awakening Fighters. Retrieved 2014-10-20.
Professional boxing record
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2–0 |  Nerys Rincon | TKO | 4 (10) | N/A | December 17, 2011 | Coliseo ReserClub de Pueblo Libre, Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 1–0 |  Halanna Dos Santos | UD | 10 | 2:00 | May 8, 2010 | Coliseo Marotta, Callao, Peru |
Kickboxing record (Incomplete)
| Amateur Muay Thai record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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58 wins(21 (T)KO's), 2 losses, 1 Draws
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Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 16 matches | 14 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 1 |
| By submission | 6 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 14–2 | Julianna Peña | Submission (armbar) | UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña | January 28, 2017 | 2 | 4:29 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 13–2 | Holly Holm | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko | July 23, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 12–2 | Amanda Nunes | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 196 | March 5, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–1 | Sarah Kaufman | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 | December 19, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 11–1 | Jan Finney | Decision (unanimous) | Legacy FC 39 | February 27, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Hellen Bastos | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Fusion FC 6 | February 26, 2014 | 2 | 3:00 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 9–1 | Priscila Orellana | TKO (punches) | Fusion FC 5 | December 18, 2013 | 1 | 0:50 | Lima, Peru | |
| Win | 8–1 | Akjarkyn Baiturbaeva | Decision (unanimous) | KF-1: MMA World Competition | April 30, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Seoul, South Korea | |
| Loss | 7–1 | Liz Carmouche | TKO (doctor stoppage) | C3 Fights: Red River Rivalry | September 30, 2010 | 2 | 3:00 | Concho, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Yulia Nemtsova | Submission (Ezekiel choke) | Professional Free Fight | March 3, 2006 | 1 | 1:11 | Krasnodar, Russia | |
| Win | 6–0 | Kyung Aeh Kim | Submission (armbar) | WXF: X-Impact World Championships 2005 | July 9, 2005 | 1 | 1:09 | South Korea | |
| Win | 5–0 | Roza Kalieva | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kazakhstan Federation of Pankration 2 | March 22, 2005 | 1 | 1:09 | Kokshetau, Kazakhstan | |
| Win | 4–0 | Alla Iskarenova | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kazakhstan Federation of Pankration | March 21, 2005 | 1 | 1:12 | Kokshetau, Kazakhstan | |
| Win | 3–0 | Erkesh Kokoeva | TKO (punches) | Kyrgyz Federation of Kulatuu 2 | October 15, 2004 | 1 | N/A | Kyrgyzstan | |
| Win | 2–0 | Mi Choi Kim | Submission (rear-naked choke) | WXF: X-Impact World Championships 2003 | December 9, 2003 | 1 | 1:55 | Seoul, South Korea | |
| Win | 1–0 | Eliza Aidaralieva | TKO (punches) | Kyrgyz Federation of Kulatuu | April 21, 2003 | 2 | N/A | Kyrgyzstan |