UFC Strawweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is one in all this technology’s most dominant and well-rounded feminine combined martial artists and presumably of all time. Nevertheless, she began as knowledgeable and had an intensive newbie profession on the earth of Muay Thai. A lot like Rafael Fiziev, we wish to put Valentina Shevchenko’s Muay Thai profession underneath the microscope and take a deeper look into her previous combating profession.
What are Valentina Shevchenko’s accolades in Muay Thai?
You’ll typically hear that Valentina Schevchenko is 17 occasions Muay Thai world champion, which is true. Nevertheless, that is on the newbie scene. Successful gold medals on the Worldwide Federation of Muay Thai Associations or IFMA, which is essentially the most revered sanctioning physique for worldwide newbie Muay Thai. So regardless of this not being knowledgeable title, the world champion title continues to be very spectacular. As Olympic boxing champions are nonetheless amateurs, their accomplishments are among the many highest in all fight sports activities.
However what did Valentina do as knowledgeable fighter in Muay Thai? Was it simply as spectacular? The reply is usually sure, as Valentina, though she didn’t attain the identical heights as an newbie, nonetheless gained world titles in each Kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Together with her successful a Kunlun Battle kickboxing world title, the largest kickboxing promotion out of China, that has had many notable fighters competing for them. Reminiscent of Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, so this title is a really respectable world title in Kickboxing.
Not solely that, however Valentina Shevchenko has additionally gained a significant Muay Thai title, the World Muay Thai Council world title, or WMC for brief. Successful this title again in 2012, she had a correct Muay Thai world title and her kickboxing world title.
What does this imply for her MMA profession?
As you’ll be able to see, her continued success in fight sports activities on the twilight of her athletic profession has helped Valentina Shevchenko fairly a bit. Her placing has at all times been an element and a device that she doesn’t over-rely on. Even somebody as expert as her will be outdone within the placing division.
When dealing with heavy-handed Mexican Alexa Grasso, Valentina Shevchenko proved she was greater than only a striker when she used her glorious wrestling potential and athleticism to neutralize the menace to not only a Muay Thai fighter however a real martial artist. For this reason Valentina Shevchenko will possible go down as among the best ever to do it, like Cris Cyborg and her peer Amanda Nunes.
