Valentina Shevchenko has publicly urged the UFC to sign Rizin champion Rajabali Shaidullaev. The 25-year-old fighter competes at 66 kilograms and holds an undefeated professional record of 19-0. Shevchenko's endorsement carries weight given her status as a former UFC champion. The post expresses support for Shevchenko's call to bring the Rizin champion to the UFC.
Valentina Shevchenko has publicly called on the UFC to sign Rizin champion Rajabali Shaidullaev, using her platform as one of the sport's most decorated fighters to advocate for the unbeaten 25-year-old's move to the promotion.
Shevchenko, 26-4-1 and the reigning UFC Women's Flyweight champion, carries considerable influence when she speaks on matters of talent. The 38-year-old from Kyrgyzstan, who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai, is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in women's MMA history. Fighting out of a southpaw stance, she stands five-foot-five with a 66-inch reach and lands 3.14 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, while also averaging 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes — a combination that underscores her complete, technically refined game.
Shaidullaev, who competes at 66 kilograms, carries a perfect 19-0 professional record and currently holds gold in Rizin, one of the world's most prominent MMA organizations outside the UFC. He is 25 years old, giving him considerable runway as a developing talent.
Why it matters
- Shevchenko's endorsement places immediate spotlight on a fighter who may otherwise have gone unnoticed by a mainstream UFC audience
- A 19-0 Rizin champion represents a potentially high-profile addition to whichever division his weight class maps to in the UFC
- Calls from active champions for the promotion to sign specific fighters are rare and tend to generate genuine organizational attention
