Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, went to hell and back during her five-round war with reigning 115-pound kingpin, Weili Zhang, in the UFC 248 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Their fight was close enough to leave the split decision — which landed in favor of Zhang — a matter of ongoing debate. Regardless, a swollen Jedrzejczyk was left with an enormous hematoma that landed her in the hospital (see the gruesome pic here).
“The swelling is going down,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Fighting. “The UFC took really good care of me. I met with the doctor on Monday. Everything is fine. I have a small surgery on Monday in my ear in my Poland with one of the best plastic surgeons in the business. I have a cauliflower [ear] so they drained it at the E.R. right after the fight. It looks very bad. So that’s it. I’m waiting on the swelling to go down. It will probably take a few more days but it’s getting better everyday. After that, I will do some exams again just to make sure everything is okay but so far, so good.”
Jedrzejczyk (16-4) will undoubtedly run it back with Zhang (21-1) at some point down the line, but considering the kind of damage both fighters incurred, their time spent on the sidelines is like to far exceed what was previously recommended by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
“Right now, I just want to go home and relax,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I don’t want to think about my next move, my next fight. I don’t want to think about the future yet. I need the time off to be myself but I’m fine. I’m strong. I keep my head up. Of course the expectations are very high but like I said, it’s not just about having the belt physically. I’m very proud of myself. My job is to be one of the best athletes and I am one of the best in the world.”
No argument here.