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Valentina Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest fighters in the world across combat sports. In this piece, we will take a look at the origins of her nickname – 'Bullet'.
Born in Frunze, Kyrgyzstan on March 7, 1988, Shevchenko started training in Taekwondo at the age of five. It wasn't too long before she fell in love with combat sports and went on to start her kickboxing career when she was 12. This was around the same time that she got her nickname.
When Valentina Shevchenko was just 12 years old, she knocked out an opponent who was 22. Impressed by her speed and ferociousness in the ring, her trainer, Pavel Fedotov, decided to name her 'Bullet', which has stayed to this day.
Currently ranked No.3 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings, Valentina Shevchenko is set to challenge the current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso in a title fight rematch. Grasso won their first fight via fourth-round submission in March 2023, ending Shevchenko's nine-fight undefeated run at flyweight.
Valentina Shevchenko has a gun tattoo on her abdomen
Valentina Shevchenko has a tremendous interest in gun shooting and often posts her videos from shooting ranges on social media accounts. The 35-year-old fighter believes that a gun is universal like an MM fighter and has gotten a Glock tattoo on the left side of her abdomen.
Shevchenko's love for firearms goes beyond just mastering the art of using them. She has also been associated with firearm seller Brownells, which gifted her customized pistol sliders in 2018. While speaking to Ariel Helwani of ESPN MMA in a 2020 interview, the 35-year-old revealed that they were limited edition pieces and only two were ever made.
Not all of Shevchenko's encounters with guns have been pleasant. Back in 2016, Shevchenko and her coach Pavel Fedotov found themselves in the middle of a shootout during their stay in Lima, Peru. The duo were at a chicken restaurant and a group of robbers took money, assaulting anyone that came in their way.
Coach Fedotov shot at the robbers as they were leaving the establishment and was injured in the return fire. He had to be rushed to the ER but fully recovered afterward.
