UFC 185 hits Dallas this Saturday with two title fights leading the charge.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title for the second time when he squares off against No. 1-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos in the main event.
In the co-m…
UFC 185 hits Dallas this Saturday with two title fights leading the charge.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title for the second time when he squares off against No. 1-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos in the main event.
In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza makes the first defense of her title against top-ranked Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Ten more fights round out the UFC 185 fight card. Prior to the action getting underway Saturday, the 22 athletes will step on the scale to make weight for their respective classifications. The weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and Bleacher Report will bring you all of the news coming out of Dallas.
UFC 185 hits Dallas this Saturday with two title fights leading the charge.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title for the second time when he squares off against No. 1-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos in the main event.
In the co-m…
UFC 185 hits Dallas this Saturday with two title fights leading the charge.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title for the second time when he squares off against No. 1-ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos in the main event.
In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza makes the first defense of her title against top-ranked Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Ten more fights round out the UFC 185 fight card. Prior to the action getting underway Saturday, the 22 athletes will step on the scale to make weight for their respective classifications. The weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and Bleacher Report will bring you all of the news coming out of Dallas.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk will attempt to take the women’s strawweight belt away from Carla Esparza this Saturday in Dallas at UFC 185. But how many out there truly know who Jedrzejczyk is?
Jedrzejczyk made her UFC debut on a lower-level fight card as the ope…
Joanna Jedrzejczyk will attempt to take the women’s strawweight belt away from Carla Esparza this Saturday in Dallas at UFC 185. But how many out there truly know who Jedrzejczyk is?
Jedrzejczyk made her UFC debut on a lower-level fight card as the opening bout on UFC Fight Pass. The next time she fought, she saw a slightly bigger audience on FOX Sports 1 opposite Claudia Gadelha, but the title eliminator was not placed on big FOX.
Now she is in the co-main event, and the mass audience does not really know who she is or how qualified of a contender has become. Well, let’s take a quick look at Jedrzejczyk‘s past and how she became the No. 1-ranked contender at 115 pounds.
Muay Thai
Jedrzejczyk is known for her wicked striking inside the MMA cage, so it should come as no surprise that she began her fighting career as a muaythai specialist.
She turned pro in 2007, five years prior to making the transition to being a pro mixed martial artist.
The Polish striker is credited with five different professional muaythai championships in her UFC bio: WKN World Champion, J Girls Champion, WBKF Champion, WKF European Champion and WMC Champion.
She has some of the fastest hands in the division and possibly the best technical striking at 115 pounds. She is an exceptional talent standing with good power, which comes from a combination of speed and technique, not from having natural, god-given freakish power such as John Lineker and other fighters who are revered for such gifts.
Her striking background made her an instant prospect and threat when she moved over to MMA.
Pre-UFC MMA
Jedrzejczykmade her MMA debut in May 2012 in Poland. It was a decision victory over SylwiaJuskiewicz. She reeled off four more victories before advancing to her first big test against veteran Rosi Sexton.
The bout took place in Cage Warriors and came after Sexton was released from the UFC’s 135-pound division.
Jedrzejczyk dominated Sexton with her accuracy.
She kept pelting Sexton with the right hand, and she dropped her twice in the opening round. Just after the halfway point in the second frame, Jedrzejczyk dropped Sexton for the final time to earn the KO victory. It was the win that got her the call to the UFC with a perfect 6-0 record.
UFC Strawweight Contender
Jedrzejczyk was in the second official strawweight contest in UFC history. She drew Juliana Lima for her UFC and strawweight debut.
Her entire MMA career had taken place at 125 pounds prior to coming to the UFC. There were questions as to how the weight cut would effect her.
It didn’t. She tore through Lima with spectacular boxing.
As The Ultimate Fighter season 20 drew on, the UFC needed a title contender waiting for the winner. After Gadelha and Jedrzejczyk won their respective bouts, it only made sense to pit them against one another in a title eliminator.
Gadelha was the No. 1-ranked contender entering the fight, and it was almost a foregone conclusion that we would see Gadelha vs. Esparza at some point. Jedrzejczyk changed that perception by upending Gadelha in a fun, competitive bout.
Most impressively, Jedrzejczyk was able to drop Gadelha with an uppercut to once again showcase her superior striking. The decision came in and was split, but the fans were firmly behind Jedrzejczyk as the winner of that fight.
While she only has two wins at 115 pounds, the manner in which she has won should prove to everyone that she is the No. 1 contender for the belt.
Knocking off Gadelha was a statement. The weight cuts have never been an issue. Jedrzejczyk is a true strawweight and a true threat to dethrone Esparza at UFC 185.
Saturday’s co-main event may be the Fight of the Night. It may even be the dawning of a new era for the strawweight division. Time will tell, but we will see a lot of Jedrzejczyk moving forward as one of the top stars in this division.
Remember her name, even if you can’t pronounce it.
UFC 185 hits Dallas this weekend with two title fights.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title against Rafael dos Anjos in the main event, and UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza takes on Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main eve…
UFC 185 hits Dallas this weekend with two title fights.
UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis defends his title against Rafael dos Anjos in the main event, and UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza takes on Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event.
The fun does not stop there. The UFC has put together a strong fight card from top to bottom. UFC 185 is stacked.
Where can you watch all the action? Who will come out on top? That is what this is all about.
This is your look at each and every fight on the UFC 185 fight card. The 12-fight lineup gets underway at 6:30 p.m. ET this Saturday on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required). Bleacher Report will have complete coverage of the event for you.
Let’s get to the preview of the action coming your way this weekend.
UFC 185 is a fun fight card featuring two title fights, but one of its most exciting matchups is the welterweight clash between Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown.
On paper, this looks to be a slugfest between two fighters who love to stand and bang. If th…
UFC 185 is a fun fight card featuring two title fights, but one of its most exciting matchups is the welterweight clash between Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown.
On paper, this looks to be a slugfest between two fighters who love to stand and bang. If that is what you are expecting to happen this coming Saturday, you may be in for some disappointment.
Both men are coming off losses and seek a win to become the next title challenger. They are on the cusp of fighting for the gold. Hendricks, the former UFC welterweight champion, seeks a third meeting with Robbie Lawler. Brown has not been seen since dropping the title eliminator to Lawler last July.
Styles make fights is the classic adage, and one I use frequently. However, ultimately tactics determine how fights play out. And that is why this fight won’t be a slugfest.
Hendricks had fallen in love with his power in recent fights. He loved to exchange and hope to get the knockout. That hasn’t happened since 2012 against Martin Kampmann. His other most recent KO came against Jon Fitch in December of 2011.
Brown, on the other hand, has many TKO/KO finishes on his recent record. It is how he fights. He pushes the pace and tries to break his opponent.
Even in Hendricks’ recent battles, when he felt threatened, he would go back to his wrestling. Brown’s aggression will make for easy takedowns for Hendricks. He wants a title shot, and reverting to his bread and butter will make that easy.
The path of least resistance is taking Brown down and grinding out a victory.
This is only a three-round fight.
Brown’s toughness should tell Hendricks not to stand and exchange. It is where Brown excels. He wants a dirty fight. Hendricks is a smart fighter, and he should know that he needs to take him down when he over-commits.
When fighters have a lot to lose they tend to fight more conservatively. Brown often bucks that trend, but do not expect Hendricks to do the same. A dance of a wild brawl requires two willing participants. Hendricks will not play that game.
The former UFC champion will pursue the takedown frequently. Brown’s takedown defense may prevent him from completing those takedowns, but if that happens they will still end up grappling in the clinch against the cage. Hendricks will grind him out from that position as well. As long as they are grappling it will be difficult for Brown to find offense to win this fight.
With so much up for grabs this Saturday, do not expect Hendricks to oblige Brown’s aggressive brawling style. It would be fan-pleasing, but it would not be smart. And Hendricks will fight a smart fight in Texas this weekend.
This fight is all about staying smart to earn the title shot.
Hendricks’ wrestling will disappoint those expecting to see two heavy-handed welterweights swinging for the fences recklessly.
Ronda Rousey defended the UFC women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 184, and the fight capped off a solid evening of performances.
The five-fight main card delivered four finishes, and each one was exciting. Three of the four finishes earned perform…
Ronda Rousey defended the UFC women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 184, and the fight capped off a solid evening of performances.
The five-fight main card delivered four finishes, and each one was exciting. Three of the four finishes earned performance bonuses. That tells you just how solid this main card was in regards to excitement.
Three of the four finishes Saturday came in the first round of action.
The UFC 184 main card fighters got after it. They wasted no time in seeking fight-ending offense. This is the kind of main card fans want in this sport. Fans want fighters going after finishes early and often. It is easier said than done, but the UFC 184 main card victors sure made it look easy.
How did each one grade out?
Here are the grades for each participant on the main card.
Joanna