Veteran UFC fighter Antonina Shevchenko, sister of flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, has announced her retirement from professional mixed martial arts after competing in the octagon eight times. This announcement means she will not be returning to fight after becoming a mother.
Shevchenko, who celebrated the birth of her son in September 2024, last fought in the UFC in July 2022, securing a victory by split decision against Cortney Casey.
In her retirement announcement, Shevchenko stated that her 2022 fight was unexpectedly her last in the UFC. Reflecting on her extensive 30-year combat sports journey, she highlighted her achievements: a 3rd-degree black belt in Taekwondo, 11 world titles across Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA, over 400 amateur and professional fights, Asian and South American championships, and her UFC career. She considers this the conclusion of her professional sports career.
Shevchenko, aged 40, joined the UFC in 2018 through Dana White’s Contender Series. During her UFC run, she achieved victories over Lucie Pudilova and Ariane da Silva, while experiencing defeats against Roxanne Modafferi, Katlyn Chookagian, Andrea Lee, and Casey O’Neill.
Shevchenko emphasized that martial arts will remain an important part of her life, but in a different capacity. She expressed excitement about her new chapter as a pilot. Her passion for airplanes and the sky is immense, and she is thrilled that aviation has become her new focus.
Shevchenko compared the intense and rewarding life of a professional fighter, filled with hard work, accolades, travel, challenges, and victories, to her newfound passion for aviation. She sees aviation as offering the same level of intensity, action, continuous learning, hard work, and achievement.
With a 10-4 MMA record, Shevchenko hopes her son will follow in her footsteps into the world of combat sports.
Shevchenko expressed her gratitude to the UFC, Dana White, and Mick Maynard for the opportunity to compete in the organization. She acknowledged the UFC as the setting for some of the toughest fights of her career, pushing her to her limits. She also thanked them for performance bonuses, which enabled her to fund her pilot training, purchase her aircraft, and gain flight experience and licenses.
Shevchenko also thanked her friends and fans for their support and mentioned they will now be cheering for her sister, Valentina.
