Valentina Shevchenko, the UFC bantamweight champion and the current No. 1 woman on the pound-for-pound list, publicly answered Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov after he said women are “weak.” Shevchenko pushed back hard on social media.
Khabib’s comments
At a recent on-stage Q&A, Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked about women’s MMA. He said he is not comfortable with it and gave a clear view on gender roles. He said: “The Almighty creates a woman, she is weak; a man, he is strong. People want to change all this and mix it. I like it when a man does manly things and a woman does womanly things.”
Shevchenko fires back
That statement drew a strong reply from Shevchenko. She posted a lengthy message on social media calling out Khabib’s words and defending women who fight and serve in tough roles.
In her post, Shevchenko wrote: “Tell that to my sister—an airline captain. Or tell it to the ‘Night Witches’… who dropped bombs under the cover of darkness with their engines off, then landed in pitch blackness without landing lights.” She added that strength depends on upbringing and training. Shevchenko said martial arts focus on the art itself, not gender, and that people train to become more graceful, stronger, and wiser.
Why this matters
The exchange highlights a wider debate about gender and sport. Many fans and fighters see mixed views like Khabib’s as out of step with modern MMA, where women compete at a very high level. Shevchenko is one of the sport’s top stars, and her response points to the skill and toughness of female fighters.
Shevchenko used real examples to make her point. Her sister works as an airline captain. She also mentioned the “Night Witches,” the all-female World War II bomber regiment, as proof that women can perform in hard, dangerous roles.
What comes next
There is no sign the two will debate this in public beyond social posts. For now, Shevchenko’s message has made its mark: she rejects the idea that women are weak and defends the value of training and skill in martial arts for everyone.
Reported by UFCcoverage.
