Valentina Shevchenko’s Coach and Gym: What Is Her Relationship With Pavel Fedotov?

With a career record of 23 victories and only 4 defeats, Valentina Shevchenko is one of the most accomplished fighters in the entire UFC women’s division. Being the former flyweight champion of the world, Shevchenko has defended her title multiple times. Her career record remains so impressive that she has only been defeated by one person, Alexa Grasso, in the past six years. We could state that her impressive record can be attributed to her coach, Pavel Fedotov.

However, what many might not know is the fact that ‘Bullet’ shares an extraordinary relationship with the coach. Fedotov has been in Shevchenko’s life since she started her MMA journey. Ahead of her scheduled bout, let us have a look at the dynamics of their relationship.

Meet Pavel Fedotov, Valentina Shevchenko’s coach

Reports say that Valentina and her sister Antonina Shevchenko’s longtime coach Pavel Fedotov has been with them for almost two decades now. Most fans are aware of the fact that Shevchenko started training Taekwondo at the tender age of five years. Her elder sister, Antonina also started training with her when she was eight years old. Reportedly, Fedotov was the one who initially took charge of training them, which he has been doing to date.

But after they started maturing as martial artists, Fedotov sensed that the Kyrgyzstani training facilities wouldn’t suffice in upgrading their game. He took the initiative to take the Shevchenko sisters to the country of Peru. Reports say that Fedotov also took the entire responsibility for the Shevchenko sisters while they trained in Peru.

A ‘ufc.com’ report also revealed how Fedotov didn’t pay much attention to ‘Bullet’ initially. Due to the tender age at which she had joined Fedotov’s gym, she was viewed as just a kid who took her training as playing.

But it was ‘the Kyrgyzstani’s’ courage that caught his eye after some time. In his interview, he revealed, “Valentina was a brave little girl. She could fight without fear with girls and boys who were heavier and more experienced. Sometimes, a strong punch could stop her. But she would stand up and start to fight again.” Well, a lot of fans might agree that this character has grown within her with time. So where do they train? Let’s find out.

Where does Shevchenko train? Gym and teammates

Valentina Shevchenko trains under the tutelage of Fedotov, supported by a dedicated gym that helps them and provides the necessary resources for continuous improvement. What’s that gym, you might ask? Well, it is the Tiger Muay Thai which is based in Phuket, Thailand. It is one of the most premium Muay Thai as well as mixed martial arts gyms in the entirety of Thailand. Shevchenko got the Tiger Muay Thai sponsorship back in 2014 and since then she has been a part of the gym.

In addition to Fedotov, Shevchenko has a ton of high-profile teammates, who fight in the same gym and help each other to grow. Some of them are Rafael Fiziev, John Hutchinson, Alex Schild, Arman Tsarukyan, and much more. ‘Bullet’s sister, Antonina also had an important role in shaping her career. She is not as successful in MMA as Valentina but has fought in the UFC nonetheless.

Fans can expect both Fedotov and Antonina in ‘Bullet’s corner at the upcoming Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at the Las Vegas Sphere. Can they coach Valentina into finally getting a win over Alexa Grasso? Will the UFC women’s flyweight belt go back to Tiger Muay Thai Gym? Let us know in the comments.