Whenever we speak about UFC  fighters or any combat sports athlete we always address them by the moniker that they use in the arena. Some fighters have simple monikers like ‘The Diamond’ or ‘The Eagle’ and others have more extravagant ones.

However, some nicknames like that of Valentina Shevchenko are simple yet interesting and might seem strange. She goes by the name ‘Bullet’ in the UFC world, but why Bullet? It seems more like a nickname for a track race athlete, doesn’t it? Yet she has this name as the lightweight contender in UFC.? Let’s find out why.

Where did Valentina Shevchenko get her nickname ‘Bullet’ from?

The flyweight fighter was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on March 7, 1988. She started fighting at a very young age practicing taekwondo at 5 under the influence of her mother, and her sister Antonina. At such a young age she was already a protegee and by the time she was 12, she had already branched out into Muay Thai. She loves martial arts and for her, it is more than sport. ‘Bullet’ had once spoken to David Menayo in a 2010 interview and said, “I cannot imagine life outside the ring because this world is everything to me … I like a lot of martial arts and I think it’s a philosophy of life”.

It was around when she was 12 that she got her nickname. Shevchenko is so brilliant at her game that at such a young age she had knocked out an opponent who was 22 years old. Her trainer Pavel Fedotov was so impressed by her lightning-fast speed and ferociousness in the ring that he decided to name her ‘Bullet’ which became the moniker for her in martial arts.

She was also inspired to get a tattoo of a gun on her torso because of her nickname and her love for shooting. Currently, the  23-4-1 fighter is ranked #1 in the women’s flyweight division. She is said to take the champion Alexa Grasso at UFC 306 in the famous ‘The Sphere’ in Las Vegas. Since she is already on a roll let’s see how she got into fighting as a professional.

Valentina Shevchenko’s early life: How did she start fighting?

She started fighting at the tender age of 5 and by the time she was 12 she was knocking out opponents who were twice her age. This is why she caught the moniker bullet and on top of that, she also has a lot of interest in shooting. She often posts videos of her practicing shooting on social media accounts. The 36-year-old also has a Glock tattoo on the left side of her abdomen.

It almost seemed like a destiny was linked to the world of wrestling. She came from a land of warriors in the literal sense because she is descended from the ‘Kazak‘, a warrior ethnic group from southern Russia. She entered the gym for the first time at the age of 5 and thanks to her mother she started learning Taekwondo. Valentina said in Marca, “My mother practiced taekwondo (she became a Third Dan black belt) and she wanted Antonina and I to follow in her footsteps. I like martial arts and I think they are a philosophy of life.”

She practiced taekwondo and Muay Thai and after competing in the Thai World Championship where she is already a six-time world champion, she befriended Fran Paredes, a leading fighter in Peru. This was a breakthrough because she invited her to visit the South American country and attend classes for a while. Valentina fell in love with the country and requested the government that she could defend their interests in international competitions. Valentina is a box of surprises because beyond spending time in the gym and giving lectures about her martial arts experience she is also a coach and a trained shooter as well as a dancer.

The youngest of the Shevchenko sisters teaches Russian dances as well as aerobic dances and has also been associated with firearm seller Brownells. She has also served as a coach in season 32 of the ultimate fighting championship and now is getting ready to compete against Alexa Grasso.