Fighters Only

Issue 196

December 2022

All-conquering UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko stopped to chat to Fighters Only at the red carpet at the 14th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards, and revealed her plan to add more bling to her championship belt in the year ahead.

Welcome to the Fighters Only World MMA Awards! What are you looking forward to the most at the Awards tonight?

The occasion. Just experiencing the amazing atmosphere and feel the spirit. Feel the spirit of Las Vegas. Feel the spirit of UFC 282. It's the last event of the year, so it's like everything together. It's amazing.

How would you rate your own year, personally? How was 2022 for Valentina Shevchenko?

I defended my belt. I defended successfully. And I would have loved to have been on this card, actually, and we were speaking with the UFC to fight on this (UFC 282) card, but it didn't work out this time.

But it was great because I had time to visit my family, spend time in Kyrgyzstan, in my home country (and) experience amazing food. It was great.

You've achieved so much already in your mixed martial arts career. What do you want to achieve in 2023? What's next year going to look like?

More title defenses, super fights, and much more! I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life and I'm ready. I'm ready to meet any challenge in front of me.

Could that challenge involve moving back up to 135 pounds. You seem to have locked down the flyweight division. Could it be time to move up?

That is an option. It's definitely something to consider. So yeah, (a trilogy fight with Amanda Nunes) is one of the super fights that could happen.

What does Fighters Only mean to you?

I think it's an amazing source to learn about the fighting spirit, about martial arts, to learn about the names. People can learn about their favorite fighters and I like it because it shows not just the brutal side of the fights, but also the beauty of martial arts.