LOS ANGELES — Valentina Shevchenko trained at the same gym in Thailand as Joanna Jedrzejczyk, by chance, as they were both preparing for the Muay Thai world championships in 2007.
Shevchenko beat Jedrzejczyk in the 2006 tournament. The two didn’t train or spar with one another while at the gym together, Shevchenko said. But it was the same facility.
When the championships arrived, both were in the 125-pound division. There was a lottery to determine the first-round matchups and brackets.
“The funniest story is that you come to the world championships, it’s maybe like 15 or 20 girls from all countries, all around,” Shevchenko said at a media lunch Tuesday.