Antonina Shevchenko has announced her retirement from professional mixed martial arts. The experienced fighter made this decision public on Thursday. As an eight-fight veteran of the UFC and the sister of two-time flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, Antonina is shifting her focus towards a career as a pilot and motherhood.
In her retirement announcement on Instagram, Shevchenko stated, "I didn’t have the opportunity to leave my gloves in the octagon by tradition." She reflected on her journey, saying, "I didn’t think my fight in UFC in 2022 would be the last. I am leaving my gloves in this post." She highlighted her impressive credentials: "30 years in sport, black belt 3rd dan in Taekwondo, 11 World Champion titles in Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and MMA," along with a record of more than 400 amateur and professional fights.
While she leaves her fighting career behind, Shevchenko will always embrace her identity as a martial artist. She expressed excitement about her new path, stating, "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." She expressed her happiness about how aviation has entered her life.
Reflecting on her career, she shared the intense life of a professional fighter, filled with "hard work, awards, travels, difficulties, victory celebrations." She noted the challenge of finding a path as fulfilling as mixed martial arts, adding, "Aviation is this treasure for me."
Shevchenko recently became a mother after giving birth to her son in September 2024. She has strong aspirations for him, planning to guide him to become both a fighter and a pilot. "Now it’s my turn to do all the hard work for my son, to raise him a decent person," she said. "Of course, I will do everything possible to make him become a professional fighter and a pilot!"
Her professional MMA record concludes at 10-4, including a 4-4 record in the UFC. Antonina’s last fight took place in July 2022, where she won against Cortney Casey by split decision.
