Valentina Shevchenko has done a remarkable job of resisting Father Time.
By any reasonable standard, Shevchenko’s run at the top should have ended for good in 2023 when Alexa Grasso choked her out in a major upset. At the time, Shevchenko was already in her mid-30s and three decades into competing in combat sports — that’s what happens when you start as a literal child! Grasso was the unlikely heir-apparent, a clutch fighter with an unexpected zeal for violence that has since been proven repeatedly.
Instead, Shevchenko turned her nose at fate. She fought Grasso twice more and was robbed of victory the second time before utterly shutting out the younger fighter in their third dance. It’s almost impossible for an older fighter to continually improve their performance against a younger athlete who defeated them once, yet that’s exactly what happened.
“Bullet” kept getting better.
Last year, Shevchenko added two more significant title defenses to her legacy at 37 years of age. Manon Fiorot was another “future of the division”-type fighter, an outstanding athlete with far fewer miles on the tires. Zhang Weili, meanwhile, was on fire leading into her shot at a second UFC title. Shevchenko nearly knocked out the former and utterly dominated the latter, picking up major wins even as her own physicality started to decline.
Alongside Alexander Volkanovski, her second title reign was the most impressive middle finger from a UFC champion to Father Time in years. She bucked all historical trends and solidified her argument as the greatest female fighter of all time in the process. Sadly, however, her latest run as champion came to an end due to a shoulder injury that’s expected to take most of a year to heal.
In other words, Father Time got his lick back.
Shevchenko, who held onto her title with such a relentless grip, will now simply step aside for either Natalia Silva or Wang Cong at UFC 332. Silva is a premier up-and-comer of 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 it’ll have to wait. Per the initial report, Shevchenko is looking at roughly eight months of rehab just to be ready for the rigors of fight camp.
By the time she actually steps into the Octagon again, she’ll be close to 40.
The silver lining is that this injury gifts Shevchenko another chance to do the impossible. Coming off serious injury at a minimum of 39 years of age to dethrone either Silva or Cong would be a remarkable story, another unprecedented feat for the woman who filled out her UFC belt with rubies. Becoming three-time UFC champion would make her claim as the female UFC GOAT even harder to argue.
Shevchenko will have to buck every historical trend and statistic in the book to do so, but then, it wouldn’t be the first time.
