Valentina Shevchenko is a figure of inspiration for her people. The current UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion was given a hero’s welcome in her home country of Kyrgyzstan during her latest visit. The countdown video for UFC 273 beautifully captured what she means to the country.
Not often are the fighters held in such high regard. Even the most popular fighters have some form of controversy following them, but not Valentina. By all accounts, she is an upstanding figure in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. On top of that, her talents are not only limited to the cage.
Shevchenko currently holds the most number of title defences amongst the active champions. With 6 title defences already in a period of 3 years, it can be argued that she is the GOAT in women’s MMA. She will look to increase that figure to 7 as she takes on Taila Santos at this weekend’s UFC 275.
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Aside from achieving MMA glory, she has a background in Boxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kick-Boxing and Judo. She is one of the most complete combat sports athletes of all time. On top of that, Valentina is also fluent in several languages and is an excellent dancer.
One of the highlights of her fights is her celebration afterwards. Shevchenko has won over the fans with her flawless dance moves. The 34-year-old also featured in a movie opposite Halle Barry in a sports film called Bruised.
Valentina Shevchenko speaks about inspiring Kyrgyzstan ahead of UFC 275
Although Valentina Shevchenko has represented 3 countries throughout her career, she calls Kyrgyzstan her home. Before her upcoming fight against Talia Santos at UFC 275, Shevchenko went back to the country to reminisce old memories. She even visited her old school where she was greeted by her former teachers and classmates.
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Kyrgyzstan is home to many combat sports athletes. But none are as well known as The Bullet. In the video, she was seen speaking to small children and her presence brought a lot of joy to the people around her. Talking about the impact that she wants to have on her country, Valentina Shevchenko said,
“I really wanna show that there is no limit for no one. If I motivate even one person, I will feel very happy.”
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Valentina Shevchenko already revealed her plans for the future. She stated that she wants to fight Miesha Tate next if she stays in the 125lbs division. Otherwise, she would prefer to move up to the UFC bantamweight division and become the only second female UFC double champ.