Former UFC Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk wants to make the best use out of the remaining months of 2022, as she envisions herself going into the next year with regaining her long-lost title.
History likes to make a circle: Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Having been away from the Octagon for over two years, Jedrzejczyk is set to return to action at UFC 275 next month in a rematch against her last adversary, Weili Zhang. The two crossed paths at UFC 248 in March 2020. Zhang, the then Strawweight champion, won the adrenaline-rushing fight via split decision, and the bout is considered to be the greatest women’s MMA fight of all time.
Now, ahead of the rematch as well as her comeback fight on 11th June in Singapore, Jedrzejczyk sees it as the first step of a ladder that will end her climbing all the way back to the Strawweight title, which she had defended across five fights but lost against Rose Namajunas at UFC 271 back in November 2017.
The Strawweight title is currently around the waist of Carla Esparza, the same fighter whom Jedrzejczyk had defeated back in March 2015 at UFC 185 to become champion. Referring to how Esparza circled back to the title, Jedrzejczyk sees herself as the next one as history repeats itself.
“History likes to make a circle, and it’s happening in front of us. It’s happening. I feel like it’s meant to be, you know? I’m in the right place, the right spot, right timing, I’m going to be the champ at the end of this year,” Jedrzejczyk told The MMA Hour, “[The] perfect scenario for me is to get a victory in Singapore on June 11th, come back to the gym, go on a small holiday and get back to the gym. Then, fight at Madison Square Garden where I lost the belt a few years ago.”
Esparza defeated Namajunas at UFC 274 last weekend to become the titleholder at 115, which Jedrzejczyk cites as the unpredictability of mixed martial arts. “The fight between Rose and Carla showed how unpredictable this sport is and how crazy this sport is. Carla beat Rose, I beat Carla, and then Andrade beat Rose, Weili Zhang beats Andrade, how crazy it is. You know anything and everything is possible. It’s happening,” the Polish fighter added. [H/T BJPenn.com]
Do you think Joanna Jedrzejczyk will become Strawweight champion by the end of 2022? Let us know in the comments.
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