Valentina Shevchenko posted Victory Day greetings featuring photographs of Soviet female pilots she had previously mentioned. The post honored Marina Raskova, Valeria Khomyakova, Lydia Litvyak, Ekaterina Budanova, and Valentina Grizodubova. These were the same aviators Shevchenko had referenced approximately six weeks earlier. The UFC flyweight champion used the occasion to commemorate the contributions of these female military pilots during World War II. The post connects her earlier comments about these historical figures to the Victory Day celebration. Details about the context of her previous mention of these pilots are not provided in this brief update.
On Victory Day, May 9, UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko shared a tribute post honoring five Soviet female pilots who served during World War II, connecting a public commemoration to remarks she had made roughly six weeks prior.
Shevchenko, 38, fights out of Kyrgyzstan and trains at Tiger Muay Thai. The reigning flyweight champion holds a professional record of 26-4-1 and has long been regarded as one of the most technically complete fighters in the sport. A southpaw standing five-foot-five with a 66-inch reach, she averages 3.14 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, and also contributes on the ground with 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Her Victory Day post featured photographs of Marina Raskova, Valeria Khomyakova, Lydia Litvyak, Ekaterina Budanova, and Valentina Grizodubova — the same aviators she had previously referenced in an earlier public statement. The post honored their contributions as female military pilots during the Second World War. The specific context in which Shevchenko first mentioned these figures approximately six weeks ago was not detailed in the update.
Why it matters
- Shevchenko is among the most prominent active athletes to publicly engage with Soviet-era military history, reflecting her Kyrgyz roots and personal connection to the broader post-Soviet cultural tradition of Victory Day commemoration.
- The post reinforces a consistent personal thread, linking her earlier comments about these pilots to the formal May 9 occasion.
- As champion and a globally recognized face of the UFC, her social content draws attention beyond the sport.
