Veteran UFC star Antonina Shevchenko confirms fighting retirement, set to focus on piloting career
Veteran former flyweight contender, Antonina Shevchenko — the sister of current champion, Valentina Shevchenko, has confirmed her immediate retirement from mixed martial arts competition, at the age of 40.
Shevchenko, a 14-fight professional veteran, made good on what has come as he final combat sports venture two years ago, landing a split decision win over Cortney Casey at UFC Vegas 58 three years ago, snapping a two-fight losing run.
A product of Dana White’s Contender Series, Shevchenko featured in the Octagon-proper on eight separate occasions during her seven-year tenure with the organization.
Antonina Shevchenko reveals MMA retirement
And in the midst of a new career as a pilot, Kyrgyzstan native, Shevchenko has confirmed her official retirement from combat sports, with immediate effect.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to leave my gloves in the octagon by tradition,” Antonina Shevchenko posted on her official Instagram. “I didn’t think my fight in UFC in 2022 would be the last. “I am leaving my gloves” in this post.”
30 years in sport, black belt 3rd dan in Taekwondo, 11 World Champion titles in Muay Thai, Kickboxing and MMA,” Antonina Shevchenko continued. “More than 400 fights in amateurs and professionals, Asian and South American Champion, UFC fighter. This is how I finish my career in professional sport.
“Of course, martial arts continue to be big part of my life but in different way,” she wrote. “It’s time to be focused on the next page – my career as a pilot. My heart and my head are completely fulled with airplanes and sky and it’s hard to express how happy I am that aviation has come into my life!
“A professional fighter lives a full exciting life, filled with hard work, awards, travels, difficulties, victory celebrations. And it is hard to find another path you love that will be same intense and fullness, filled with action, constant learning, hard work and celebration of achievements. Aviation is this treasure for me,” she continued.
“Now it’s my turn to do all the hard work for my son, to raise him a decent person,” she said. “Of course, I will do everything possible for make him become a professional fighter and a pilot!”
During her tenure with the promotion, Antonina Shevchenko would turn in notable victories over the likes of Lucie Pudilova, Ariane Lipski, and Ji Yeon Kim to name a few.
As for the Peruvian veteran’s sister, Valentina Shevchenko — she is set to kick off her second flyweight title run at UFC 315 in May, taking on surging French contender, Manon Fiorot in a trip to Montreal.
