UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is well established as one of the best MMA athletes in the world, and she’s been tough as nails for a long time. To offer up proof (and a bit of entertainment), the 32-year-old fighter shared a video on Twitter of one of her earlier fights. Shevchenko, who is easy to identify in the clip as she reveals she refused to wear headgear, claims she was just fourteen years old in the video, while her opponent was 25.
14 years oldme ,and myopponent of 25 yearsold
— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) April 7, 2020One of the first professionalfights in my martial arts carrier! It took place in Oman.That time female fights in Muslimcountries was kind of rare)They tried force me to put on the helmet, but having my rebel character- I refused
pic.twitter.com/Dn5y9piKf6
Even the teenage Shevchenko was terrifying, and sure enough, she ends up getting her hand raised in victory.
For anyone who doubted how young she was, Shevchenko also shared a photo from after the fight, where she certainly looks like a baby-faced version of the fighter we all know today.
14 years old me , and my opponent of 25 years old
— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) April 7, 2020
One of the first professional fights in my martial arts carrier ! pic.twitter.com/m9zytTcxBf
After seeing such a young Shevchenko putting on such an amazing performance, it’s no great surprise that she grew up to be one of the top fighters in the world.
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