5 Defining Moments: Valentina Shevchenko

If women’s mixed martial arts had a Mount Rushmore, the incomparable Valentina Shevchenko would almost certainly be on it.

The Kyrgyzstan native will put her undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight title on the line for the eighth time when she collides with Lobo Gym standout Alexa Grasso in the UFC 285 co-main event on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Shevchenko enters the cage on the strength of a nine-fight winning streak. She has now held the 125-pound championship for more than 1,500 days.

As Shevchenko moves ever closer to her forthcoming battle with Grasso, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define her to this point:

1. Foot in the Door

Strategic takedowns and some productive work in the clinch spurred Shevchenko to a split decision over former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman as part of the UFC on Fox 17 undercard on Dec. 19, 2015 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards, two of them siding with the organizational newcomer. A replacement for the injured Germaine de Randamie, Shevchenko executed two takedowns and briefly climbed to mount in the first round, then shined in close quarters in the second. She laced her clinch with knees and elbows, making navigation all but impossible for Kaufman. Midway through Round 3, Kaufman saw her best chance at victory come and go. She took down Shevchenko, advanced to side control and attacked with elbows and short punches before achieving full mount in the waning moments. However, Shevchenko returned to her feet after a failed armbar attempt from the Canadian and walked out with her hand raised.

2. Riddle Unsolved

Amanda Nunes retained her undisputed women’s bantamweight championship with a split verdict over Shevchenko, as their rematch headlined UFC 215 on Sept. 9, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. All three judges scored it 48-47: Sal D’Amato and David Therien for Nunes, Tony Weeks for Shevchenko. The win gave Nunes a 2-0 edge in the head-to-head series between the two mixed martial arts superstars. Nunes paced herself in an attempt to curb the cardio issues that have plagued her in the past. Leg and body kicks were her most effective weapons. Meanwhile, Shevchenko frustrated “The Lioness” with crafty footwork and sublime head movement, countering effectively off her misses. With the outcome still up in the air entering the fifth round, Nunes changed course. She freed herself from an ill-conceived head-and-arm throw by Shevchenko, assumed a dominant position and fished for weaknesses. Later, Nunes powered her way to a takedown and spent the final 50 seconds on top sending a message to the judges.

3. Canadian Coronation

What was long viewed as an inevitability became a reality in the UFC 231 co-main event on Dec. 8, 2018 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, where Shevchenko laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and captured the vacant women’s flyweight championship. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it 49-46 for “Bullet,” who was a step ahead of Jedrzejczyk in all phases. Shevchenko showed a little bit of everything against the onetime strawweight titleholder, from executing high-impact takedowns to doubling up on front kicks to the face. By the time it was over, she had outlanded Jedrzejczyk by an 89-78 margin in significant strikes, secured five takedowns and piled up more than eight minutes of control time.

4. Head Shot

Shevchenko strengthened her stranglehold on the undisputed women’s flyweight crown and did so in violent fashion when she leveled Jessica Eye with a head kick in the second round of their UFC 238 co-headliner on June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago. An unconscious Eye hit the canvas 26 seconds into Round 2 and remained motionless for several tense moments. Shevchenko was never in jeopardy. She tenderized the challenger’s body with a series of kicks in the first round, secured two takedowns and threatened with a kimura from the crucifix position in the closing seconds. The gulf in skill between the two women was enormous and only seemed to widen with each passing minute. Shevchenko fired more kicks to the body in Round 2, then went high and slammed her shin into Eye’s skull. The Xtreme Couture representative froze and collapsed, her head bouncing off the mat in one of the most brutal finishes in women’s MMA history.

5. Close Call

“Bullet” retained the women’s flyweight title with a contentious split decision over Taila Santos in the five-round UFC 275 co-main event on June 12, 2022 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Judge David Lethaby scored it 48-47 for Santos, while Howard Hughes and Clemens Werner saw it 48-47 and 49-46 for Shevchenko. It was the longtime champion’s sternest test to date at 125 pounds. Santos exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. She steered clear of danger on the feet throughout the first two rounds and took down Shevchenko on multiple occasions, all while advancing to her back and threatening with cranks and chokes. However, the tide started to shift in Round 3, where the champion benefitted from an inadvertent clash of heads that resulted in serious swelling around Santos’ right eye. Shevchenko used the challenger’s brush with misfortune against her in the fourth and fifth rounds, firing left hands and kicks to her compromised side. Santos fought through the adversity but could not reclaim the momentum she once held. Shevchenko secured a takedown midway through Round 5, progressed to half guard and shut down the Brazilian’s bid to escape.