Valentina Shevchenko is training in Tokyo. The reigning UFC flyweight champion is set to take on Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 in Las Vegas but appears to have started her training camp in Japan.
Shevchenko has spent a lot of time training at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket and might well be heading in that direction. A few days ago she share a photo of herself at a gym in Bishkek.
But Shevchenko has left Kyrgyzstan and is currently in Tokyo:
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Big fight
Shevchenko appears to be training at the Paraestra Matsudo gym. Among the fighters in the photo is former Rizin atomweight champion Kanna Asakura.
The reigning UFC flyweight champion appears to have indulged in a spot of sightseeing during her trip to Tokyo. But with a title defence coming up in two months time she won’t have too many chances to take a break.
She is fighting on one of the biggest cards of the year. UFC 285 is headlined by a heavyweight title fight between the returning Jon Jones and Cyril Gane.
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Mixed heritage
Shevchenko was born in Kyrgyzstan but also has citizenship of Peru and is from a Russian / Ukrainian family. She speaks numerous languages and seems to spend a lot of time travelling.
The 34 year old has won her last nine UFC fights. She is currently ranked by the promotion as the second best pound for pound female fighter on the roster.
Shevchenko has been linked with a fight against reigning strawweight champion Weili Zhang. But next up for the champion is a flyweight title match against an opponent who is currently at #5 in the rankings.
Anderson Silva holds the record for the longest winning streak in UFC history. He won 16 in a row but Shevchenko already has that record in her sights.
Her journey to the T-Mobile Arena has taken in Bishkek and Tokyo so far. It will be interesting to see how many other stops Shevchenko has planned before she faces off against Grasso on March 4th.
