Valentina Shevchenko breaks silence on MMA media seemingly pushing retirement rumors in fiery rant: "The most important is how you feel"

Valentina Shevchenko has hit back at ongoing retirement speculation, insisting that a fighter’s longevity depends on performance rather than age. The reigning UFC flyweight champion is set to defend her title against Manon Fiorot on May 10 at UFC 315, but discussions about her future in the sport have been intensifying.

Former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson recently suggested that Shevchenko and strawweight champion Zhang Weili should face off in a super fight before retiring. Johnson argued that both fighters had dominated their divisions and should make way for younger contenders.

However, Shevchenko dismissed such suggestions in an interview with Ariel Helwani, criticizing the MMA media for frequently pushing retirement narratives. She questioned why media focus on retirement for fighters still competing at the highest level, emphasizing that performance, not age, should determine a career’s end:

"Who told that there is certain age to retire? The most important is how you feel, the most important is what shape you are. If your brain is ready for this… it's ready to shows the best performance of yourself. So there is no limits. like stop asking this, and stop commenting on this silly question about retirement.”

Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comments below (1:20):

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Valentina Shevchenko focused on UFC 315, puts Zhang Weili fight on hold

Valentina Shevchenko has made it clear that her primary focus is on defending her flyweight title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, despite ongoing speculation about a potential superfight with strawweight champion Zhang Weili.

Shevchenko acknowledged that a bout with Weili is intriguing but insisted it is not a priority at the moment:

"It's still a little bit farther to think about and I don't let many thoughts come in my mind and start to defocus from the preparation what I will have for the next two months for [UFC 315]. And that's why I'm really thinking only in one direction right now."

Check out Valentina Shevchenko's comment below (1:52):