Antonina Shevchenko, a seasoned veteran with eight appearances in the octagon, has announced her retirement from the UFC as she embraces motherhood. The sister of UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko shared her decision to step away from professional fighting on Thursday.
Shevchenko, who welcomed her son into the world in September 2024, last competed in the UFC in July 2022, securing a victory by split decision against Cortney Casey.
In her retirement announcement, Shevchenko stated, “I didn’t have the chance to formally leave my gloves in the octagon after my last fight in 2022, as I didn`t realize it would be my final one. So, I am symbolically leaving my gloves with this post. My 30 years in sports include a 3rd dan black belt in Taekwondo, 11 world titles in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA, over 400 amateur and professional fights, titles as Asian and South American champion, and my time as a UFC fighter. This marks the end of my professional sports career.”
The 40-year-old fighter entered the UFC in 2018 through Dana White’s Contender Series. During her UFC career, she achieved victories with finishes against Lucie Pudilova and Ariane da Silva. Her losses in the octagon were against Roxanne Modafferi, Katlyn Cherminara, Andrea Lee, and Casey O’Neill.
“Martial arts will remain an important part of my life, but in a different capacity,” Shevchenko continued. “It’s time to focus on a new chapter – my career as a pilot. My heart and mind are now completely dedicated to airplanes and the sky, and I am incredibly happy to have aviation in my life!”
“Being a professional fighter is an exciting and full life, filled with dedication, achievements, travel, challenges, and celebrations. It’s difficult to find another path that offers the same intensity, action, continuous learning, hard work, and rewarding achievements. Aviation is that treasure for me!”
With a 10-4 MMA record, Shevchenko expressed her hope that her son will follow in her footsteps into the world of combat sports.
“Now, it’s my turn to dedicate myself to my son and raise him to be a good person,” Shevchenko wrote. “Of course, I will do everything I can to help him become a professional fighter and a pilot! I thank the UFC, Dana White, and Mick Maynard for the opportunity to be part of UFC history and for some of the toughest fights of my career. They pushed me to my limits and made me work harder than ever. I also appreciate the performance fight bonuses, which enabled me to complete my pilot training, purchase my Skyhawk, travel across the country, and obtain all my pilot licenses and flight hours.”
“Thank you to all my friends! And a special thanks to the fans for your cheers and support! Now, we will all be cheering for my sister!”
