Valentina Shevchenko is a professional mixed martial artist from Russia although her origins are Kirghizia, USSR (modern-day Kyrgyzstan). The former Muay Thai fighter who has throughout her career switched between the bantamweight and flyweight divisions is ranked #1 in UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings. She has since 2018 held the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship, enabling her to amass a net worth of $5 million.
Valentina Shevchenko Profile
- Full Name: Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko
- Nickname: Bullet
- Date of Birth: March 7, 1988
- Valentina Shevchenko Age: 34 years old
- Place of Birth: Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union (modern-day Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
- Ethnicity: Ukrainian-Russian
- Nationality: Kyrgyzstani, Peruvian, Russian
- Profession: Mixed Martial Artist, former Muay Thai Fighter
- Height: 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m)
- Weight: 125 lbs (57 kg; 8.9 st)
- Reach: 66+1⁄2 inches (169 cm)
- Net Worth: $5 million
- Parents: Elena Shevchenko
- Siblings: Antonina Shevchenko
- Instagram: bulletvalentina
- Twitter: bulletvalentina
What is Valentina Shevchenko’s Ethnicity?
Valentina Shevchenko was born to a Ukrainian family in Frunze, Kirghizia, USSR, modern-day Kyrgyzstan. While her origins make her a part of the Ukrainian people, she describes herself as Russian. Valentina is also very fluent in the language.
Her family used to have soviet citizenship but they have since acquired that of Kyrgyzstan. Valentina herself has that of Kyrgyzstan but also Russian and Peruvian citizenship.
She Comes From a Family of Sports Enthusiasts
Valentina Shevchenko gained interest and her athletic ability from her parents. While she may be the most famous member of her family, her father and mother have significant achievements in sports. Her older sister Antonina is also a professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter.
The mother of the Shevchenko sisters, Elena Shevchenko, is a former multiple-time Muay Thai champion who later became the president of Kyrgyzstan’s national Muay Thai association. Their father on the other hand was a member of the Kyrgyz national football team after he had served in the Pacific Fleet of the Soviet navy for three years during the Cold War.
Valentina Shevchenko Has a Net Worth of $5 Million
Valentina Shevchenko has had a decorated career as a fighter, both in mixed martial arts and Muay Thai. It is worthy to note that she had also done some boxing, judo, taekwondo, and kickboxing as an amateur. Valentina won many titles in all these sports but it is mainly her exploits as a pro in MMA that have contributed to her fortune of $5 million.
According to The Sports Daily, Valentina Shevchenko had by 2021 made over $2.7 million from her time with the UFC. This does not include bonuses from PPV earnings. Her biggest payday came at UFC 266 when she earned $392,000 after knocking out flyweight challenger Lauren Murphy. As a result of these earnings, and what she is believed to make from endorsements, the #1 UFC women’s pound-for-pound fighter has an estimated net worth of over $5 million.
In regards to her endorsement deals, she has had contracts with brands like GuardLab, Brownells, Inc., Smith & Wesson Corp., Dapper Scrappers, LUCHO Shoes, Girls with Guns Clothing, and VEOSPORT.
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Why Does Valentina Shevchenko Have a Gun Tattoo?
Valentina Shevchenko has about six tattoos on her body, one of which is a Glock on her lower abdomen. As can be seen in the list of brands that she endorses, the UFC fighter has worked with a few firearm-affiliated companies. She believes the gun is universal like an MMA fighter and this has earned her the nickname bullet.
During her free time, Valentina enjoys going to a shooting range to test her skills. Her social media is filled with photos of her and her sister Antonina shooting different kinds of firearms. The duo were introduced to guns by their trainer Pavel Fedotov, a former Soviet soldier.
Some of the other tattoos on her body are a tribal-style tattoo on her lower back, a Federation of Thai Boxing of the Kirghiz Republic symbol on her shoulder, an unidentified symbol on her shoulder blade, a Thai deity of Hanuman on the right side of her stomach, and writing on her upper back.
How Many Languages Does Valentina Speak?
Valentina Shevchenko is fluent in English, Spanish, and Russian. The UFC fighter lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and fights in America so it is no surprise that she is fluent in English. Seeing that she also once lived in Peru and has Peruvian nationality, a country that has Spanish as its official national language, she learned the language during her time in the country as a martial arts teacher. Her Russian is a result of her origins.
