‘Modern Feminism is Too Aggressive’ Claims UFC Flyweight Champ Valentina Shevchenko

UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko talks about how modern day feminism and gender equality is going overboard.

‘Modern Feminism is Too Aggressive’ Claims UFC Flyweight Champ Valentina Shevchenko

Valentina Shevchenko talks about modern day feminism (via Bloody Elbow)

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The rapid rise of women’s MMA has transformed the sport into a globally recognized and commercially viable division. Valentina Shevchenko is widely regarded as one of its key pioneers due to her longevity and dominance. Her success helped legitimize the women’s flyweight division as a cornerstone of the UFC roster. She recently addressed feminism and equal rights in sports between men and women.

Shevchenko made her UFC debut in 2015 and emerged as an elite contender despite close losses to Amanda Nunes. A move to flyweight transformed her career, leading to a title win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231.

‘Bullet’ followed that by defending the belt against the likes of Lauren Murphy and Liz Carmouche. Those victories established her as one of the most complete champions in women’s MMA. Her continued success kept her atop the division following a title defense against Weili Zhang at UFC 322.

Zhang moved up to become a double champ, only to find out about the pedigree that the ‘Bullet’ has. With her résumé firmly established at the highest level, Shevchenko recently spoke on feminism and equality. The comments followed a career defined by sustained achievement in women’s MMA.

I don’t like modern feminism and the new gender equality movement because it’s no longer really about inequality anymore. Let’s take modern feminism: yes, in the past, feminists truly fought for our rights; they struggled so that we could go to universities, pursue the same professions as men, receive education, learn new things, and get paid the same for our work. But now all of that already exists. So now we see that women, even in martial arts, are taking part in main events we get paid the same amount, sometimes even earning more than men.

Valentina Shevchenko via Ushatayka

Shevchenko also spoke about her belief that women have already secured the fundamental rights that earlier generations fought to achieve. She stated that modern gender equality movements have shifted toward unnecessary aggression rather than balance. According to her view, progress should now be acknowledged and appreciated rather than expanded through confrontation.

Shevchenko’s reign has included several record-setting milestones tied to sustained title defenses at the highest level. She became the first UFC fighter to earn all eight rubies on the modern championship belt. She also completed the first women’s title trilogy against Alexa Grasso, who took the belt from her at UFC 285. However, the Kyrgyzstan native later closed the rivalry by reclaiming the title at UFC 306.

Valentino Shevchenko also addressed criticism of women’s MMA following controversial remarks by UFC middleweight Sean Strickland, publicly pushing back against negative portrayals of the division. The exchange highlighted her willingness to defend the legitimacy of female competition. Combined with her recent comments on feminism and equality, it reinforced her stance on respect within the sport.

Valentina Shevchenko talks about the possibility of fighting Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison rose to championship status rapidly after signing with the UFC in 2024 and made her promotional debut at UFC 300. In that first Octagon appearance, she submitted former champion Holly Holm in the second round, establishing her presence at bantamweight early. Harrison then secured a title opportunity, winning the women’s bantamweight championship by submitting Julianna Peña at UFC 316.

Valentina Shevchenko talks about fighting Kayla Harrison
Valentina Shevchenko talks about fighting Kayla Harrison (via MMA Fighting, PFSN)

Valentina Shevchenko has long welcomed elite challenges and reinforced that at UFC 322 by defeating former strawweight champion Weili Zhang in a dominant title defense. ‘Bullet’ controlled the fight throughout, asserting tactical supremacy against an opponent moving up in weight. In the aftermath of her victory, discussions emerged linking her next potential challenge to Harrison.

I think it’s one of the possibilities, yes. And I’ll consider that or now, I want to take care of injuries that I have, that are kind of migrating from training camp to training camp with me. But after maybe a week or something like that, we’ll have our conversation with my team, with my coach Pavel, and decide what is next. Because I feel there are good challengers in flyweight as well. 

Valentina Shevchenko via MMA Fighting

With the UFC’s White House event approaching and only one American champion currently holding a title, a matchup between Harrison and Shevchenko carries added appeal. Harrison represents the UFC’s only American titleholder, while Valentina Shevchenko remains a dominant champion. The cross-divisional nature of the bout enhances its profile. That dynamic could make it a strong option for the June 14 event.

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