If you didn’t know by now, Valentina Shevchenko is one of the greatest fighters of all time. At UFC 322 this past Saturday, the reigning two-time UFC flyweight champion further cemented her status.
Shevchenko cruised to a shutout victory in her much-anticipated clash with former two-time strawweight champion Zhang Weili. At 37 years old, Shevchenko arguably looked better than ever despite entering the bout as a betting underdog. However, her lopsided performance didn’t come without criticism, drawing fan backlash for a wrestling-heavy approach that some complained lacked excitement.
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Speaking Tuesday on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Shevchenko offered a fitting response.
“You cannot be good for everyone,” Shevchenko said. “You can see the highest strikers, they cannot be good for everyone. You’re two-sided — who says yes and who says no. You have to choose what you want to do. You cannot please everyone. No, it doesn’t work like this. It’s not only in martial arts, it’s not only in MMA. You have to choose what you stand for and keep being yourself.
“You cannot [get] mad at someone because they have different opinions, or because they [don’t] have enough experience or they don’t know martial arts. You cannot be mad about them. You know they will come to you. It will take time, but they will understand martial arts for this moment.
“It doesn’t matter at this point. [The reaction has been] more yes than no, this is what matters.”
Shevchenko has long been the rare champion who can cancel out the noise, but even she caught wind of the whispers before UFC 322, with many believing it to be a foregone conclusion that Zhang would walk away with a second belt. Many of those same voices have continued to count her out since her close war with Taila Santos in 2022, but Shevchenko said her confidence never once wavered. She’s well aware of the talent she’s had throughout essentially her entire life, despite the imposing résumé Zhang carried.
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“I knew about what people were saying and it’s leading to the fight,” Shevchenko said. “Everyone was praising [Zhang] and saying, ‘Oh, they are the same size. Weili is so strong, she’s so explosive, so fast, so everything.’ Yeah, definitely they will say it because she was showing such amazing fights against her other opponents, but it doesn’t mean that she will do the same against me. Because [I am] not the other opponents. [I am] me. [I am] ‘The Bullet.’ I have completely different skills, speed, strength.
“For people, it’s hard to imagine how it’s going to go and to see the reality. But especially professionals, who know martial arts really good from the inside, they definitely saw the reality very clear.”
After her big win, Shevchenko once again finds herself in the driver’s seat at 125 pounds and asking the question of who’s next. She’s been there and done that multiple times over, with nine total title defenses to her name. All opponents have been conquered in her career — except for one fellow GOAT.
Shevchenko acknowledges there are top flyweight contenders like Brazil’s Natalia Silva who are justifiably waiting in the wings, but the return of old rival Amanda Nunes — who beat her twice in 2016-17 during Shevchenko’s bantamweight days — is an enticing proposition. Shevchenko has never seriously considered a return to 135 pounds since dropping down in 2018, but she’d happily welcome Nunes to flyweight — especially after Nunes teased that potential move on social media following UFC 322.
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Then there’s current UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, who is expected to face Nunes first upon the Hall of Famer’s return next year. Both options are appealing to Shevchenko.
“Let’s do it, Amanda. Come on. 125,” Shevchenko said. “Yeah, let’s do it. Maybe Kayla Harrison will want to go down to 125 and do it as well. I welcome everyone.
“For now, [Nunes] likes to talk a lot, and she feels secure when you’re behind the wall and no one can get to you. She’s still kind of in the half of her retirement, still saying that she’s coming back but nothing sure [is booked] yet. She feels safe to speak now, and that’s why you cannot never trust when people speak that much in their own words. You cannot believe in everything.”
