The UFC made three fairly noteworthy roster cuts this week, and one of them was the release of Antonina Shevchenko, the sister of reigning UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
On Thursday, Antonina, 40, the oldest of the two Shevchenko sisters, announced her retirement from mixed martial arts on her Instagram page. Her message was lengthy and heartfelt, which displays why she was a fan favorite during her eight fights in the UFC.
“Dear friends,” Shevchenko wrote. “I didn’t have the opportunity to leave my gloves in the octagon by tradition, I didn’t think my fight in UFC in 2022 would be the last.
“I am leaving my gloves” in this post.”
Before coming to the UFC, like her sisters, she was an accomplished kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter.
“30 years in sport, black belt 3rd dan in Taekwondo,
11 World Champion titles in Muay Thai, Kickboxing and MMA.
More than 400 fights in amateurs and professionals, Asian and SouthAmerican 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 👊
It’s time to be focused on the next page – my career as a pilot.
My heart and my head are completely filled with airplanes and sky and it’s hard to express how happy I am that aviation has come into my life!”
At the end of Shevchenko’s post, she shouted out Valentina and invited fans to cheer her on as she continues her career in the UFC.
“And of course, thanks to the fans who cheered up and supported! We will cheer together for my sister now! @bulletvalentina.”
Shevchenko’s decision comes as no surprise as she hasn’t fought in nearly three years. Shevchenko also recently had a son and has taken up a career as a pilot, according to her Instagram page.
It appears Shevchenko and the promotion have parted on good terms, and Valentina–someone UFC CEO Dana White has always spoken glowingly about–is set to defend her title against Manon Fiorot on May 10 at UFC 315.
Antonina’s last fight was a unanimous decision win over Cortney Casey in July 2022. The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak and, as it turns out, was likely the best possible retirement bout for her.
While Antonina’s career never reached the heights of her younger sister’s, the former’s 10-4 career mark is above average. She owns wins over Ji Yeon Kim, Lucie Pudilova, Ariane Lipski da Silva and Casey.
Here is a breakdown of Shevchenko’s MMA career record.
Antonina Shevchenko’s Career MMA Record
- April 2002
Opponent: Anara Bayanova
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Event: KFK: Cup of Kyrgyzstan
Result: Win via TKO (punches), Round 2 - September 2003
Opponent: Hyun Sung Kim
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Event: WXF: X-Impact World Championships 2003
Result: Win via Decision (unanimous), Round 3 - September 2005
Opponent: Hyun Sung Kim
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Event: WXF: X-Impact World Championships 2005
Result: Win via Decision (unanimous), Round 3 - March 11, 2017
Opponent: Anissa Haddaoui
Location: London, England
Event: Phoenix FC 3: UK vs. The World
Result: Win via Decision (unanimous), Round 3 - December 22, 2017
Opponent: Valérie Domergue
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Event: Phoenix FC 4: Dubai
Result: Win via Decision (unanimous), Round 3 - June 26, 2018
Opponent: Jaimelene Nievera
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: Dana White’s Contender Series 11
Result: Win via TKO (knees), Round 2 - November 30, 2018
Opponent: Ji Yeon Kim
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale
Result: Win via Decision (unanimous), Round 3
Note: Catchweight bout at 130.5 lbs (Kim missed weight) - April 20, 2019
Opponent: Roxanne Modafferi
Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Event: UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik
Result: Loss via Decision (split), Round 3 - August 3, 2019
Opponent: Lucie Pudilová
Location: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Event: UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Lawler
Result: Win via Technical Submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2
Bonus: Fight of the Night - May 30, 2020
Opponent: Katlyn Chookagian (now Cerminara)
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns
Result: Loss via Decision (unanimous), Round 3 - November 21, 2020
Opponent: Ariane Lipski
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: UFC 255
Result: Win via TKO (punches), Round 2
Bonus: Performance of the Night - May 15, 2021
Opponent: Andrea Lee
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Event: UFC 262
Result: Loss via Submission (triangle armbar), Round 2 - October 2, 2021
Opponent: Casey O’Neill
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker
Result: Loss via TKO (punches), Round 2 - July 9, 2022
Opponent: Cortney Casey
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Event: UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev
Result: Win via Decision (split), Round 3