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Kyrgyzstan Valentina Shevchenko is a decorated professional mixed martial artist, Muay Thai fighter, and kickboxer, known for her dominance in the UFC Flyweight division.
Valentina Shevchenko joined Stake as a Global Brand Ambassador. Stake has become one of the most important partners of the UFC, and this collaboration aligns her with other elite UFC athletes.
Valentina Shevchenko partnered with Warbringer Bourbon for special small batch releases produced by Sespe Creek Distillery.
Valentina Shevchenko is featured as a playable character in several EA Sports UFC video games (UFC 2, UFC 3, UFC 4, and UFC 5). She was also a cover athlete for EA Sports UFC 5.
Valentina Anatolyevna Shevchenko was born on March 7, 1988, in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union (now Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). Her upbringing in a family with a strong martial arts background heavily influenced her early life; her mother was a multiple-time Muay Thai champion and president of Kyrgyzstan’s national Muay Thai association, while her father served in the Soviet Navy and played for the Kyrgyzstan national football team. Valentina began Taekwondo at age five and by age 12, she had expanded her training to include Muay Thai kickboxing and freestyle Vale Tudo. Her exceptional speed in the ring earned her the nickname “Bullet” and initiated a highly successful combat sports career. After relocating to Peru with her trainer and sister, she gained Peruvian citizenship and became fluent in Russian, English, and Spanish.
Shevchenko’s combat sports journey is marked by significant achievements across multiple disciplines. From 2003 to 2015, she amassed over 90 amateur and professional victories in K-1, Muay Thai, and kickboxing. She secured eight gold medals at the IFMA World Championships (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014) and also won the IMFA Royal World Cup in 2015. Notably, she defeated future UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk three times during this period, establishing her reputation as one of the world’s best female Muay Thai fighters. Her professional MMA debut occurred at age 15 in 2003, where she secured a TKO victory. After a hiatus to focus on striking, she returned to MMA in 2010.
Valentina Shevchenko transitioned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2015, making her debut against Sarah Kaufman. Despite an early career TKO loss to Liz Carmouche in 2010, she developed into a formidable force. In 2018, she moved to the Flyweight division and quickly became a dominant champion, securing the vacant UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship at UFC 231 against Joanna Jędrzejczyk. She defended her title seven consecutive times, a record for the division, with notable victories including a head kick knockout of Jessica Eye in 2019 and TKO wins against Katlyn Chookagian and Jéssica Andrade. After losing and drawing with Alexa Grasso, she reclaimed the title at UFC 306 in 2024, becoming the first and only two-time UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. She is scheduled to face Zhang Weili in November 2025.
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