For Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, her upcoming fight against fellow Polish mixed martial arts (MMA) star, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, is another chance to prove that she is not just the best female fighter from Poland, but on the entire planet.
Indeed, Jedrzejczyk has extra motivation to deliver a memorable performance at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, 2016, in New York City. She wants to put on a crowd-pleasing show that showcases her well-rounded skill set, as well as sends a strong message to her fellow countrywoman.
She breaks it down during a recent guest spot on “The MMA Hour:”
“I feel I am going to be a different fighter than I was in the fight against Claudia Gadelha. I don’t want to just swing with Karolina, I want to really, really put on a good show. Because it’s me. I like Karolina, I like all of the crazy things coming up. People want to ask for proof to see who is the best in Poland, but I am the best in the world. I just want to be the best in the world. It’s a very big deal. People want this fight to happen in Poland, but, I am an international champion. Of course I want to fight in Poland for my fans and my family, but maybe next time. Karolina should be happy that we are going to fight at UFC 205.”
For Jedrzejczyk, the beef with Kowalkiewicz stems from their recent encounters. What began as a friendly and mutual respect for each other quickly turned sour once “JJ” says she realized Kowalkiewicz was putting up a front.
“I met her in a lobby. She was super nice and super cute. She came to me with her coach and they hug me and she was nice. Her problem is that she is a fake person. Before my fight with Gadleha, we shoot commercial for our sponsor, we had a photo shoot together and she was super nice and talking a lot. But, after her fight with Rose, she said a lot of bad things and that’s the reason. She said I’m afraid of her and that I’m going to lose my belt. Come on, let’s be serious. She is fake and I am going to prove to everyone that she is.”
Jedrzejczyk already has a win over Kowalkiewicz, defeating her via first round rear-naked choke back in their amateur days in 2012. A second win over Kowalkiewicz will further add to her bragging rights in their native land. And if she can do it in highlight-reel fashion, well then it will be that much sweeter.
To see who else is fighting at the stacked UFC 205 pay-per-view (PPV) event — which features a Lightweight title fight between division champion Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor — click here.