The Joe Rogan ExperienceJRE MMA Show #115 with Valentina Schevchenko
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 3:17
Valentina’s languages and learning Thai through immersion
Joe and Valentina kick off by discussing her language skills and why she considers herself “still learning” Thai despite speaking it publicly. She explains her standard for fluency and how full cultural immersion accelerates real comprehension.
- •Speaks three languages and is actively learning Thai as a fourth
- •Defines “speaking a language” as fluent understanding of native speakers
- •Immersion (living without English) as the fastest way to level up
- •Personal philosophy: do things as well as possible, not necessarily ‘perfect’
- 3:17 – 7:45
From Kyrgyzstan to South America: travel as a life philosophy
Valentina describes her upbringing in Kyrgyzstan, early competition, and the team’s move from Kyrgyzstan to Russia and then to South America. She emphasizes that exploration—culture, people, and lived experience—was the real driver, not just finding opponents or gyms.
- •Started training at age five; competed heavily early on
- •Moved because local competition/opponents were limited
- •Travel motivated by curiosity and cultural exploration, not a single goal
- •South America’s diversity (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, etc.) kept pulling them in
- •Ended up living in Peru for eight years
- 7:45 – 10:57
Why the coach matters most: Pavel’s lifelong partnership
Joe digs into how Valentina maintained elite development while living abroad. Valentina stresses the most important constant is having the right coach, explaining how Pavel has been with her since age five and functions as part of a tight family-like team with her sister Antonina.
- •Never worried about finding partners; worried about having the right coach
- •A talented fighter can fail without correct coaching approach
- •Pavel coached her from her first day in the gym at age five
- •Team structure: Valentina, Antonina, Pavel (and strong family support)
- •Shared values: travel, learning, exploration
- 10:57 – 17:43
Thailand camps, Muay Thai ‘spirit,’ and learning beyond the gym
They discuss training in Thailand—first on islands, later representing Tiger Muay Thai—and what makes it special. Valentina argues that training quality includes absorbing local culture and mindset, not only grinding sessions inside the gym.
- •Spent 3–4 months at a time in Thailand even while based in Peru
- •Trained at Tiger Muay Thai (later years) and earlier island gyms
- •Muay Thai is tied to Thai spirit, culture, and environment
- •Belief that broad experiences feed athletic development
- •Techniques become dangerous when they’re internalized and personalized
- 17:43 – 22:57
Building a ‘universal fighter’: Taekwondo roots to Muay Thai and MMA
Valentina outlines her martial arts progression: starting with ITF Taekwondo, then competing across many disciplines to become adaptable. She explains Pavel’s long-term goal of creating universal fighters and how women’s MMA opportunities shaped her focus toward Muay Thai before MMA exploded.
- •Started with ITF Taekwondo at age five
- •Pavel pushed competition across many styles to build adaptability
- •Kyrgyzstan had many martial arts scenes and federations
- •Muay Thai became the main competitive outlet due to more opportunities for women
- •Around 2010 women’s MMA growth brought stronger MMA focus again
- 22:57 – 34:10
Dominant champion mindset: beauty, balance, and being lethal everywhere
Joe praises her dominance and asks about intentionally out-grappling opponents like Andrade and submitting Peña. Valentina explains her approach: train for all possible situations, avoid ego, and find the solution to win—anywhere—while keeping fights technically high-level.
- •Goal: win while making fights technical, intense, and ‘clean’
- •Doesn’t set ego-based ‘challenges’; prepares for every scenario
- •Team scouting and situational drilling to make decisions automatic
- •Winning mindset: always find a solution; build ‘more weapons’
- •Balance of confidence and humility; avoid overestimating opponents
- 34:10 – 37:56
Family influence and Soviet-era martial arts context
Valentina shares how her mother shaped her path, including enrolling both daughters in martial arts and dance. They also explore the Soviet Union’s restrictions on karate, the combat sports that were promoted, and how combat sambo relates to military training and modern MMA.
- •Mother is a lifelong martial artist and leads Kyrgyzstan’s Muay Thai federation
- •Early training framed as play, later became serious around ages 12–14
- •Karate was prohibited in the Soviet Union; underground practice existed
- •Legal/encouraged sports included boxing, sambo, gymnastics
- •Combat sambo’s roots tied to military training; competition landscape evolved
- 37:56 – 52:34
Being more than a fighter: dance, learning, and the role of a great teacher-coach
The conversation shifts to personal development and the idea that a person can master multiple disciplines. Valentina argues dance helped her balance and movement but insists great coaching—adapting techniques to each athlete’s body—is more important than any single cross-training method.
- •Rejects the idea you must ‘choose one identity’ (fighter vs artist, etc.)
- •Dance as balance training; comparison to Lomachenko’s footwork
- •Coaches must tailor technique to individual biomechanics and style
- •Critique of coaches who impose one rigid ‘correct’ technique on everyone
- •Martial arts as true art: individual expression under real resistance
- 52:34 – 56:55
Longevity and prime years: why she avoids retirement deadlines
Joe asks about retirement and athletic prime. Valentina says she won’t set an end date because it psychologically pulls you toward finishing; instead she focuses on feeling strong, testing limits, and staying engaged with the lifestyle.
- •No planned retirement date; wants to compete as long as she feels strong
- •Belief that setting an end date creates a mental ‘countdown’
- •Argues modern people feel younger at 30 than decades ago; ‘prime’ may shift
- •Training camps are mentally as well as physically demanding
- •Competition teaches faster than drills alone in some cases
- 56:55 – 1:12:45
Training philosophy: minimal gadgets, one hard session, MMA integrated
Valentina explains her unconventional training approach: she dislikes weights, cardio machines, and even pads compared to sparring. She prefers integrated MMA sessions, mental toughness built inside hard training, and uses her own perception as the primary performance metric.
- •Mental training comes from pushing through uncertain-length sessions
- •Doesn’t rely on meditation/psychology consultants; prefers fight-specific toughness
- •Avoids weights/cardio machines; prefers partner work (wrestling as ‘moving weights’)
- •Often trains once per day during camp to preserve energy for peak performance
- •Integrates striking/wrestling/grappling together rather than separated blocks
- 1:12:45 – 1:28:15
Opponents, weight classes, and the Amanda Nunes super-fight question
They explore sparring partners by weight, her early UFC run at 135, and why 125 is her natural class. Joe presses on a possible Nunes rematch and whether she’d add mass; Valentina says gaining weight would likely slow her down and won’t erase a naturally bigger fighter’s advantage.
- •Prefers sparring partners near her weight to allow realistic intensity
- •At 135 felt undersized but adapted with strategy; walks around ~135 now
- •Only reason to go back to 135: a Nunes superfight
- •Would not purposely bulk up; expects extra mass to reduce speed/endurance
- •Discusses 115 cut as undesirable; respects athletes who do extreme cuts
- 1:28:15 – 1:45:29
Women’s MMA growth and the long road to the UFC
Joe and Valentina reflect on how quickly MMA evolved and how women’s divisions reached elite parity. Valentina recalls the VHS era of fight watching, early stars like Carano/Cyborg and Rousey’s UFC wave, and explains why her long pre-UFC journey helped her arrive mentally ready.
- •Believes 125 is the most natural/competitive women’s weight class
- •Notes rapid evolution: modern MMA fighters are complete, not style-vs-style
- •Early female MMA visibility: Carano/Cyborg; Rousey as a bigger UFC wave
- •Watching fights used to require VHS and special access outside the US
- •Her path: years abroad, many world titles, then UFC—arrived fully prepared
- 1:45:29 – 1:56:14
Guns and competition shooting: culture, history, and hunter games
Valentina discusses how Pavel introduced her to firearms and how she began competing in practical/defensive shooting (IPSC/IDPA-style). They dive into her interest in gun history, antique firearms, long-range shooting, and a demanding SIG Sauer ‘hunter games’ event blending endurance with precision.
- •Started shooting in Peru; competes in dynamic, movement-based shooting sports
- •Emphasizes safety, respect, and problem-solving under pressure (malfunctions)
- •Fascination with gun history (e.g., Mosin rifle from 1935; antique flintlock)
- •Participated in SIG Sauer hunter games: long circuit, elevation, multiple stages
- •Long-range shooting up to ~1000 yards; excitement about continuing competition
- 1:56:14 – 2:03:29
Gun community, conservation funding, and education vs prohibition
Joe and Valentina push back on stereotypes about gun owners, arguing the community is welcoming and safety-focused. They discuss how hunters fund conservation (Pittman–Robertson Act) and advocate for education—both in firearm safety and martial arts—to reduce fear, accidents, and bullying.
- •Gun culture described as respectful, helpful, and community-driven
- •Hunters as major contributors to conservation funding and habitat protection
- •Pittman–Robertson Act cited: 11% excise tax funds wildlife programs
- •Valentina supports school-based education on safety rather than blanket bans
- •Parallel argument: teach martial arts in schools to reduce bullying and improve health
- 2:03:29 – 2:29:29
Sparring debates, Thai ‘play sparring,’ and her protective full-contact approach
They close with a detailed sparring discussion: why it’s necessary, how it can be misused, and how to reduce damage. Valentina advocates for full-intensity sparring but with substantial protective gear, and explains that Thai light sparring is often shaped by how frequently Thais compete.
- •Sparring is essential for timing and realism; pads aren’t enough
- •Common mistake: ego-driven sparring without protection
- •Her rule: heavy protection (helmet, shin/elbow/knee pads, big gloves)
- •Full power sparring is used, but not with small gloves/no guards
- •Thai light sparring linked to frequent competition; avoid unnecessary damage
