Antonina Shevchenko makes her UFC debut at the TUF 28 Finale in Las Vegas, taking on 11th-ranked flyweight Yi Jeong Kim. Shevchenko, older sister of flyweight contender Valentina Shevchenko, earned her UFC contract on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contenders Series in June. Like her younger sister, Antonina carries the experience of a prolific kickboxing and Muay Thai career into the Octagon.
Although she’s making her first walk to the Octagon in this promotion, Shevchenko is keeping a level head about her debut.
“It’s the same business as usual,” she said. “I know this is a very important fight, but every fight is important. Every fight that I had in my career during more than 20 years, it was very important.
“When you win your first world championship, it is very important. When you defend your world championship, it is very important. You feel it, and that’s why you train very hard. If you don’t feel it, you train a little bit slower, so you cannot feel that it’s not important or that the fight will be easy.”
