Valentina Shevchenko says Halle Berry motivated her ahead of fight against Katlyn Chookagian

Here's a fun fact that not many know about UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko - she's a good friend of Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry and they are also appearing in a movie together.

Berry was present Octagon side on Saturday night for Shevchenko's fight against Katlyn Chookagian in the co-main event of UFC 247 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas where Shevchenko put up a top-draw performance and successfully defended her title for the third time on the trot.

While speaking on MMA Fighting’s Eurobash podcast, Shevchenko claimed that while preparing for her role in her upcoming movie Bruised which also features the champ, Berry picked up on a lot of fighting skills. Shevchenko and Berry exchanged pleasantries after her fight against Chookagian and the fighter claimed that Berry played a huge role in motivating her heading into the fight.

“I’m so happy that she came. It was one of the biggest motivations for me. Before the fight, she went to our changing rooms when I was warming up. She said, ‘Best wishes,’ and it was amazing. Yes, definitely, it was one of the reasons why I felt I had to finish the fight sooner,” she said, laughing."

Shevchenko showered praises on Berry for spending more than three years while preparing for her role in the upcoming movie which includes training in Muay Thai, MMA, and boxing.

“You know, she is very good,” said Shevchenko. “For this film she was preparing, and she was preparing for more than three years doing Muay Thai, MMA, boxing, every kind of martial arts. I can say from a professional point of view, she is in excellent shape, she is in good form...and yes, she is a fighter now. She is an actress and a fighter.”