Valentina Shevchenko recalls Halle Berry asking her to hit her harder when filming new movie

Valentina Shevchenko is even a champion in the fictional world.

The reigning UFC flyweight champion recently began expanding her horizons by getting into the acting world when recruited by Halle Berry to be in her directorial debut, Bruised – in theaters now.

“Her main idea for the fight scenes, it has to be real,” Valentina Shevchenko told MMA Fighting alongside Berry. “It has to be a real fight. As real as possible. Sometimes she was in the training, she was like ‘Valentina, you have to hit me harder,’ and I’m like ‘Halle, I’m not sure’ and she said ‘you have to hit me, I have to feel that.’ I was like OK, I’ll do my best.”

Not only was directing alongside acting a new challenge for Berry, but the overall concept of the film provided something completely new for the accomplished actress. Berry noted that when asking Valentina Shevchenko about the role, the champion didn’t hesitate.

“Who would say no if Halle Berry is calling you? It’s not a question!” Shevchenko said. “At that moment, we were in Australia. We were in Australia and it was our travel that we do all the time and I got the offer to have my fight, to fight for the title in Australia and it was the only one time I said give me a little bit more time.

“Because I knew it’s kind of like it will be in the same time when I have to prepare for the movie and I will have to prepare for the fight. It was the only time when I asked the UFC to have a different date for me.”

In the film, Valentina Shevchenko (22-3) plays the “final boss” in a sense, as her character is the Invicta FC champion – yes, the very same Invicta FC that exists in real life helmed by Shannon Knapp.

She last fought at UFC 266 when successfully picking up her sixth title defense when defeating Lauren Murphy via fourth-round TKO.