UFC icon Valentina Shevchenko has built a reputation as one of mixed martial arts’ most technically skilled and culturally grounded athletes. In a recent interview, the Kyrgyz-born champion opened up about maintaining femininity in combat sports, challenging stereotypes, and staying true to herself in a male-dominated industry.
When asked about women maintaining their femininity while competing in MMA, Shevchenko offered a perspective that challenged common assumptions about female athletes.
“No one will lose femininity in any situation, because only a person who initially wants to lose femininity will lose it,” she stated firmly. “A girl, if she remains a girl, no matter what kind of life she will be engaged in, sports or work activities will always remain a woman. Because the idea in the head is what leads us.”
The champion went further, explaining how martial arts actually enhance feminine qualities rather than diminish them.
“I always tell girls that you need to do martial arts, you need to do grappling, jiu-jitsu, Thai boxing, because it develops this beauty, inner confidence,” she said. “Sport gives this, especially for girls, flexibility, this coordination that develops, and it gives this beauty and harmony.”
Shevchenko emphasized that her demeanor is genuine, not a persona created for public consumption.
“My character is not a mask. If you are like this for people, for society, and in fact you are different, then this is just a mask,” she explained.
This authenticity extends throughout her life, whether in competition or at home.
The athlete credited her upbringing in Kyrgyzstan with instilling values that transcend gender stereotypes. When asked about the most Kyrgyz quality in herself, she immediately responded: “Respect for elders, respect for people, respect for culture in general, respect. I think this is the most important quality.”
Shevchenko challenged the notion that intense physical training masculinizes women. She described how athletic development creates what she calls “cat grace” in movement.
“This inner confidence, it is felt from the inside. And when a person is confident in herself, she is just beautiful for everyone,” she noted.
