Valentina Shevchenko has done a remarkable job of resisting the Father.
By any reasonable standard, Shevchenko’s run should have ended for good in 2023, when Alexa Grasso she choked out in great irritation. At the time, Shevchenko was already in his mid-30s and had been competing in combat sports for three decades — that’s what happens when you literally start as a child! Grasso was an unlikely successor, a violent man with an unexpected penchant for violence that has been proven time and time again.
Instead, Shevchenko turned her nose at fate. He fought Grasso twice more and was robbed of a victory the second time before completely shutting down the younger fighter in the third dance. It’s almost impossible for an older fighter to consistently improve their performance against a younger athlete who beat them once, but that’s what happened.
“Kul” kept getting better and better.
Last year, at the age of 37, Shevchenko added two more notable defending champions to his legacy. Manon Fiorot was another “future of the division” type fighter, a standout athlete with far fewer miles on his tires. Zhang Weiat the same time was on fire, leading to his second UFC title shot. Shevchenko scored a near knockout in the first and completely dominated the second, picking up big wins even as her own physicality began to decline.
Side by side Alexander Volkanovskyhis second title reign was the most impressive middle finger to UFC champion Father Time in recent years. She defied all historical trends and strengthened her case as the greatest female fighter of all time in the process. Unfortunately, however, his last championship run came to an end a shoulder injury that is expected to take the better part of a year to heal.
In other words, Father Time was back in the lick.
Shevchenko, who held onto her title with such a relentless grip, now simply steps aside for either Natalia Silva or Wang Cong at UFC 332. Silva is the main up-and-comer in the division, while Cong is an old foe from Shevchenko’s kickboxing days. Another title defense against either would have added to Shevchenko’s legendary resume, but that will have to wait. According to the initial report, Shevchenko will wait about eight months of rehab to be ready for the rigors of fight camp.
By the time he steps into the Octagon again, he’ll be nearly 40.
The silver lining is that this injury gives Shevchenko another chance to do the impossible. At least suffering a serious injury at age 39 to dethrone Silva or Cong would be a remarkable story, another unprecedented feat for a woman who filled her UFC belt with rubies. Becoming a three-time UFC champion would make her claim to be the female UFC GOAT even harder to argue.
Shevchenko will have to pay every historical trend and statistic in the book to do it, but then it wouldn’t be the first time.
