As an amateur, Savelyeva went 134–15–1, winning the world, European (2X) and Russian (6X) championships.

[4] During her fourth professional fight Savelyeva, 3–0, 3 KOs, took the leap to 10 rounds and faced former world title challenger Nevenka Mikulic of Croatia, on February 10 at Qin Shi Huang Restaurant in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

[5] Savelyeva, 4–0, 3 KOs, returned to the ring on Friday, July 13, 2018, in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, for an eight-round showdown against current number 10 IBF and number 11 WBC contender, Nina Radovanovic, 12–2, 3 KOs, of Serbia.

By defeating Kim Hye Song of North Korea in the opening round, Savelyeva won the first ever women's boxing bout at the Olympics.

Savelyeva's mother was an elementary school teacher and her father an electrical engineer.