As noted, Holly Holm’s next opponent, Valentina Shevchenko, was recently present during an armed robbery in Peru that resulted in her trainer being shot.
The incident was actually caught on camera, and security footage of the incident can be seen online here.
Following the incident, Shevchenko released the following statement via her official Facebook page:
Thank you so much dear friends for all the moral support in this very hard time that I and my family are going through!
On Sunday my coach master Pavel risked his life to defend me and the people that I was having dinner at the local restaurant.
I was at the back of the restaurant, and I’ve seen how the thieves went from table to table hitting the diners and snatching their belongings without anyone being able to help them. When they were getting closer towards our table, Pavel acted very determined and bravely.
If criminals would have found the gun he was carrying they would have thought that he was a cop, and very likely that they would have killed him with his own gun.
The Act of Pavel was not only in self-defense, but also the defense of my life and also of the people who were by my side!
Now Pavel is recovering thanks to God!
Valentina Shevchenko is scheduled to meet former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm in the main event of UFC On FOX 20 on July 23, 2016 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
