Valentina Shevchenko has built one of the most decorated resumes in women’s MMA history. She enters UFC 322 with 25 career wins, two flyweight title reigns, and a legacy forged through global travel, relentless discipline, and an iron will. But behind every technique, every adjustment, and every championship camp stands one man who has shaped her since childhood, Pavel Fedotov.

Fans worldwide are familiar with Valentina Shevchenko’s dominance, but how many truly know the mentor who has stood beside her for more than two decades? How did this partnership begin, and what role does he play as she prepares for Zhang Weili? Let’s break it all down!

Who Is Pavel Fedotov? Valentina Shevchenko’s Head Coach 

Reports say that Valentina and her sister Antonina Shevchenko’s longtime coach, Pavel Fedotov, has been with them for almost two decades now. Most fans are aware of the fact that Shevchenko started training Taekwondo at the tender age of five years. Her elder sister, Antonina, also started training with her when she was eight years old. Reportedly, Fedotov was the one who initially took charge of training them, which he has been doing to date.

But after they started maturing as martial artists, Fedotov sensed that the Kyrgyzstani training facilities wouldn’t suffice in upgrading their game. He took the initiative to take the Shevchenko sisters to the country of Peru. Reports say that Fedotov also took the entire responsibility for the Shevchenko sisters while they trained in Peru.

Top Stories

UFC 323 Payouts: How Much Will Merab Dvalishvili, Petr Yan, Alexandre Pantoja, and Others Earn?

Joe Rogan-Daniel Cormier Urged to Step Down After ‘Ruining’ Tatsuro Taira’s UFC 323 Moment

What Happened to Alexandre Pantoja? Freak Injury Makes Joshua Van Second Youngest Champ at UFC 323

Dana White Accepts Emotional Henry Cejudo’s Final Demand Live After UFC 323 Retirement Fight With Payton Talbott

Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman, and Others Send Personal Message to Merab Dvalishvili After Petr Yan Loss at UFC 323

A ‘ufc.com’ report also revealed how Fedotov didn’t pay much attention to ‘Bullet’ initially. Due to the tender age at which she had joined Fedotov’s gym, she was viewed as just a kid who took her training as play.

But it was the Kyrgyzstani’s courage that caught his eye after some time. In his interview, he revealed, “Valentina was a brave little girl. She could fight without fear with girls and boys who were heavier and more experienced. Sometimes, a strong punch could stop her. But she would stand up and start to fight again.”

Shevchenko trains under the tutelage of Fedotov, supported by a dedicated gym that helps them and provides the necessary resources for continuous improvement. What’s that gym, you might ask? Well, it is the Tiger Muay Thai, which is based in Phuket, Thailand. It is one of the most premium Muay Thai as well as mixed martial arts gyms in the entirety of Thailand. Shevchenko got the Tiger Muay Thai sponsorship back in 2014, and since then, she has been a part of the gym.

In addition to Fedotov, Shevchenko has a ton of high-profile teammates, who fight in the same gym and help each other to grow. Some of them are Rafael Fiziev, John Hutchinson, Alex Schild, Arman Tsarukyan, and many more. ‘Bullet’s sister, Antonina, also had an important role in shaping her career. She is not as successful in MMA as Valentina, but has fought in the UFC nonetheless. Now, let’s move to the question fans keep asking: Does he still run her camps today?

Is Pavel Fedotov Shevchenko’s Coach for UFC 322? Current Training Status

Yes, Pavel Fedotov is still Valentina Shevchenko’s head coach heading into UFC 322. And not just in name. In practice, he is with her everywhere. Shevchenko’s lifestyle is famously nomadic. As per reports, ahead of her fight with Zhang Weili, she trained in Thailand, Morocco, Las Vegas, Texas, and finally New Jersey. To many, her constant travel looks like a fighter hopping from country to country. But to her, it’s something deeper.

As she explained during the UFC 322 media week, “It’s me as a person… I feel this is my lifestyle, and I feel it benefits me because I’m learning every single day, not only in martial arts, but also learning about life itself. You can live in one place all your life and think (this is the world), but it’s not. Once you start to travel, you understand how diverse the world is, how many different cultures and many different people we have, how amazing they are.”

And here’s the crucial detail: Fedotov is part of every stop. Whether it’s Thailand’s Tiger Muay Thai or a temporary gym tucked inside an unfamiliar city, he stays beside her, watching, adjusting, refining, analyzing. Shevchenko praised her coaching team as she further shared, “My training camp has been just amazing. A lot of training partners, and of course, a lot of focusing on studying Weili very well, knowing all her sides.”

So, as ‘Bullet’ steps toward one of the biggest fights of her career at UFC 322, Pavel Fedotov once again stands in her corner, the same mentor who saw a “brave little girl” and helped sculpt one of the greatest female fighters the sport has ever known!