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Sophie Cunningham
This is an I Heart Podcast. This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snore loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.
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Interviewer / Podcast Host
Learn more at paypal.com payin4paypal inc.nmls910457 I.
Sophie Cunningham
Turned off news altogether.
Valentina Shevchenko
I hate to say it, but I.
Sophie Cunningham
Don'T trust much of anything.
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It's the rage bait.
Sophie Cunningham
It feels like it's trying to divide people.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
If we got clear facts, maybe we.
Valentina Shevchenko
Could calm down a little.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there.
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Interviewer / Podcast Host
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Valentina Shevchenko
I don't feel that is necessary. It's just like the way I am.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah. Why do you like it so much?
Valentina Shevchenko
Because for me, travel and martial arts, it's all tied so much together that, that it's never separate. And travel was always like big part of my lifestyle. Same as martial arts. All my travel because of martial arts. All my martial arts is because of travel, it's all one and I feel it's a great opportunity. When you travel, it's kind of like opening your mind. You are able to meet new people with the same passion as you are. You're able to meet new cultures.
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You.
Valentina Shevchenko
You are able to get the best of every culture and see how diverse our world and then when you are back, appreciate what you have and what you don't have. And like, it's kind of like good things to. In terms like if you want to be wiser person.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah. Where's home at? Is Vegas.
Valentina Shevchenko
Las Vegas.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah, Vegas. So where do you spend the majority of the camp? How long are you in these places, you and coach?
Valentina Shevchenko
It's all depends. It all depends. It's never fixed. It's never certain. This time we started in Thailand there like amazing Tiger Muay Thai camp. And I very. It's like camp gym. What I represent always was like my home. Back in Thailand, in Morocco, we had. I was part of the. The terminal list. I was doing some fight scenes. Like the movie.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
You're on the show or the movie?
Valentina Shevchenko
Yeah, the show.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Terminal list.
Valentina Shevchenko
Yeah, exactly. The second season, True Believer.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Nice.
Valentina Shevchenko
And I'm playing a spy over there.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
I'm going to watch it. You playing a spy. It's absolutely perfect. For years I've told you, for years I have told you, you're like a spy and you played the spy. I cannot go watch. What episode is it?
Valentina Shevchenko
What episode is it? 2027 episode.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Okay.
Valentina Shevchenko
Yeah.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Terminal list episode. 207. Go watch the champ. I'm definitely gonna watch it right now. Okay, so you're in Morocco for that?
Valentina Shevchenko
Yes, for that. And definitely as I. It was quite like farther from the. From now. And that's why I could have more travels. But definitely we go any place and we check in on the gyms. So I. We were lucky to because we spent like different cities. You in Casablanca, Tangier, in Marrakech and Osny. So like in everywhere. We were able to train to find a gym with mixed martial arts guys. And I were able to train there. Then we got back home to Las Vegas. Definitely Andrade Muay Thai gym where I always train over there. Good training partners. UC fighter Jocelyn Edwards, Piera Rodriguez. She. They were like my training partner. Same with Jason Andrada. Then El Paso, Texas, then martial arts. What my third training camp I spent over there. It's like good feeling as a. Like a family spirit. And in general El Paso, it feels like very like old style when you go in any restaurants and you feel like in someone's favorite house.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yes, like in somebody's house.
Valentina Shevchenko
It's so good. So plus, my training partners was some from El Paso, another one from Mexico, Ciudad Juarez. And every time, like every day, crossing the border, come train with me, then come back home.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah.
Valentina Shevchenko
And it's like, it's very. It means a lot. Yeah, yeah. And then final part here, New Jersey. One of my corners, Richie Van Houten, he has a gym culture gym here in New Jersey. So same amazing training partners. And I was very lucky to have all of them in my training camp.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
That's an amazing training camp. A lot of time. And honestly, going into those new places, it must like, it's like an awakening, right? Like, because in camp it can get a little bit repetitive, right? You wake up, you train, you wake up, you train, you wake up, you train. But by going to all these new places, I bet it's like refreshing to wake up in a different place with a different type of energy every single time. How quickly after you, your last title defense against Manon Fior, did you believe or know that it was going to be a super fight between you and Zhang Weili?
Valentina Shevchenko
Pretty fast. When I first, like receive a notice about that fight, it's kind of like I even felt that I'm still in shape.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah, it was that fast.
Valentina Shevchenko
Yes, it was pretty fast. But then I took a little bit time to actually like recover from the training camp mentally, physically. And we went to Washington State in Puget Sound where I have a boat and spent like about two months just living aboard, traveling from marina to marina to San Juan Islands and all over the area. A lot of good fishing, salmon fishing, crabbing, shrimping. So this is the way how I was restoring my.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
You don't get seasick, you don't get like, stomach hurt from like all the rocking. And, you know, it really bothers me.
Valentina Shevchenko
You know, the best of Puget Sound, it's kind of like as a huge sea because it's not open ocean. You don't have these.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
It's not up and down waves.
Valentina Shevchenko
No, it, it might be a little bit like rocky, but not something like very horrible.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
But does it doesn't bother your stomach at all?
Valentina Shevchenko
No, no.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
It give me seasick. Last time I. I went to, on my friend's boat, I throw up all over over the side. The whole time I'm throwing up over the side. It was crazy. It just really messed me up. Zhang Weili is a champion like yourself. I really believe that for the last five years, female fighter of the year could you are Zhang Weili. It's just whoever was. Whoever fought last could have been considered the fighter of the year. What type of challenge does she present to you, being that you've defended this belt so many times against so many different styles?
Valentina Shevchenko
Veili, she's amazing fighter, she's very strong. She's like, good representative of martial arts. And, yeah, it's kind of like the highest challenge I consider during the training camp. It's everything that I have to prepare the best. I have to be ready for everything. Because it's martial arts, it's mma. You cannot, like, think that it's going to be only striking or only grappling. It can be everything. So I have to be very alert in these terms. But I know that she's fast, I'm faster, she's strong, I'm stronger, and I will do everything. My training camp was amazing. I will do everything to win the fight and secure my victory the best way I can.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
You're an amazing striker, but lately you wrestle more, right? Like you wrestle, you control. Is that a conscious decision to make that a bigger part of your game plan? Because you're so physically strong that once you get the takedown and your knowledge of the grappling, it really does give these women problems as they try to get back to their feet. Did you ever, like, did you decide this at some point, going, you know what? I've knocked people out my whole life, kickboxing and everything, Muay Thai. But this wrestling, I have this now. Was there a point where you realized that it could be a bit of a driving force to your. Your fight plan?
Valentina Shevchenko
I feel that it's majority times. It's all about my opponents. It's kind of like being MMA fighter. You just cannot be a striker. You cannot be wrestler. You have to be everything. And it's all depends what tactics you're going to use. It depends of the moment in the fight. Sometimes you have to change it quickly. Sometimes you have to react fast enough. And I feel that it's happened because in front of me, there was particular challenge that I had to use exactly that tactic.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
When you think of Weili as an opponent, where does she rank in terms of the people you fought? I mean, you fought everybody. You fought Amanda, you fought Holly. You fought all the way down to the Monon Fiores and the younger fighters of the generation. Where do you think she ranks in terms of opponents? I know most people say, well, she's number one because she's next. But when you fought the greatest fighters ever, like where do you think Weili stacks up to these fighters?
Valentina Shevchenko
I feel the same way what that you just told me because she's my next challenge. And I definitely will rank her as a bigger challenge because I feel that this approach, it's helping me to be successful. Because you are not thinking, oh, it's going to be easier challenge. No, it's not going to be. Even if you think it's going to be easier challenge, then you are facing someone super furious, super hungry for the victory and. And like, oops, yeah, that would suck. Yeah.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
You do not want to overlook anybody to fight.
Valentina Shevchenko
You have to be very ready for everything. That's why I consider every my next challenge as the number one.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
This, you defended the belt 10 times, right? Nine or nine. This is going to be number 10. You've defended 10 going for 11. You defended 10, going for 11. You are now in the rankings of some of the most successful champions of all time. But every time you go in there, you're as prepared, you're as ready as anyone. How do you continue to wake up in the morning and be motivated for this at this level? Because you never get an easy fight as the champion. You always get the hungriest. You always get the most desperate to get what you have. This is the first time that you might be fighting someone that has as much money as you because she's been the champion. Most people are like starving to get there, to get the belt, to get the money. How do you stay motivated to stay ahead of the curve like you have been for so long? Because it doesn't even look like you're.
Valentina Shevchenko
Slowing down at all, first of all, because martial arts, for me, it's not the way just to get money. Just. It's not my job. It's not my. Just a career. It's my lifestyle. Yeah, my life. I'm martial art, not martial artist. I am martial art and everything. What I represent, it's my martial arts for me. It's all my philosophy, all my life. It's number one and number two. It's a good balance between going hard in the training camp and a fight and proper recovery, managing the training process. It's very important too because like many fighter feels that if they don't train three times a day, it's kind of like not. Not good for them, not good for them performed. But it's not right. It's.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
It breaks them down.
Valentina Shevchenko
You break down and you just cannot survive the full training camp with that much intensity. You have to do it smart. And I'm Very lucky that my coach, Pavel Fedotov, who is like trained me since day number one already for like more than 30 years. He's very wise man in martial arts and it's like he every time guide me, that's correctly, that I don't have to worry about anything. I just go and train. My job is easy. His job is hard.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah. Mindless. It's mindless. And also having that familiar place like you and coach have been together for so long, if you get in there and you're kind of dragging, he probably knows how to pull it back because he knows you, because you've been around and you guys have trained together for so long. Your guys relationship is awesome, by the way. To see that you guys have grown to what your career is, it's amazing to watch because I was a guy that trained with only one group of coaches himself. You know, a lot of people jump between teams. You haven't done that?
Valentina Shevchenko
No, never. Because I feel this is like loyalty, it's number one, like feeling of this respond responsibility to each other. And you know, it's kind of like I grew up in Kyrgyzstan, it's very far from here. My way to get into the ufc, it was one of the hardest ways. It's, it's not something like you reach 5070 and it's like guarantee you can be fighter. Yeah. I had to travel all the world, become 17 time world champion in Muay Thai, MMA kickboxing. And only after that, like living eight years in South America, in Thailand, in Europe, in Russia, all over this place, like fighting. Everyone, everyone's the best. And only after that, I had my chance to compete in ufc.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Yeah. I think that's why though, because you appreciate it all that you had to go through, you appreciate the ability to do what you do at this level. And I mean, you've done it as good as anyone, and you continue to do it as good as anyone in the UFC's history. So congratulations on all your success. You are the best, guys. Valentina Shevchenko once again tries to defend the flyweight championship of the world this weekend at UFC322 from Madison Square Garden. Make sure you go follow her. Seriously. She is a renaissance woman. She owns boats, she fishes, she does it all, she hunts. I mean, actress now obviously on top of being a tremendous mixed martial artist. Make sure you follow her. Until next time, buy the pay per view this weekend. Like subscribe and tell your friends I'm checking in with people like to pull it. Till next time. Peace.
Sophie Cunningham
This is Sophie Cunningham. From Show Me Something do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snore loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company Kraken.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
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Sophie Cunningham
Crypto trading involves risk of loss and is offered to U.S. customers, excluding New York and Maine through PayWord Interactive, Inc. View legal disclosures@kraken.com legal disclosures terms and conditions apply.
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Interviewer / Podcast Host
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Valentina Shevchenko
Nah, brother.
Interviewer / Podcast Host
Crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, juicy chicken egg and a buttery biscuit. That's the perfect breakfast. All right, let me try it. Mm.
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Valentina Shevchenko
Hey.
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Sophie Cunningham
This is an I Heart podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Daniel Cormier TV – Valentina Shevchenko on Fighting Weili Zhang
Release Date: November 18, 2025
In this episode, Daniel Cormier sits down with Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko, one of MMA’s greatest female fighters, ahead of her anticipated “super fight” against current strawweight champion Zhang Weili. The conversation dives into Valentina's globe-trotting training camp, her martial arts philosophy, preparation for her next historic title defense, and her reflections on motivation and legacy. Shevchenko also discusses her acting role in the series "The Terminal List," balancing fame, fighting, and her passion for martial arts.
[05:15 – 09:08]
[09:08 – 10:45]
[11:21 – 12:08]
[12:08 – 13:24]
[13:24 – 14:27]
[14:35 – 16:12]
[17:09 – 18:03]
On facing Zhang Weili:
“I know that she's fast, I'm faster, she's strong, I'm stronger, and I will do everything…to win the fight.”
(Valentina Shevchenko, 11:44)
On martial arts as a philosophy:
“I'm martial art, not martial artist.”
(Valentina Shevchenko, 15:25)
On her legendary coach:
“My job is easy. His job is hard.”
(Valentina Shevchenko, 16:12)
On never underestimating opponents:
“I consider every my next challenge as the number one.”
(Valentina Shevchenko, 14:27)
The episode is insightful, candid, and respectful, with a tone blending professionalism, admiration, and friendly banter. Cormier’s praise is warm and genuine, while Shevchenko responds thoughtfully, humbly, and with a clear sense of pride in her journey and philosophy.
This episode offers an in-depth look at Valentina Shevchenko’s mindset, preparation, and philosophy as she heads into one of the biggest fights of her storied career. Both Shevchenko and Cormier emphasize respect, adaptability, and the enduring spirit required to remain at the sport's pinnacle. Inspiring for both longtime fans and newcomers, the conversation showcases Valentina’s unwavering motivation, preparation, and humility on the verge of yet another historic title defense.