The MMA world is currently dealing with the shockwave sent through the sport when it was confirmed this afternoon that UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes had been forced out of her UFC 213 main event against Valentina Shevchenko after she had been hospitalized.
With the odd scenario of a UFC pay-per-view main event being canceled the day of the fight getting odder with each development, a top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter offered to step up a la Anderson Silva at UFC 200 to save the Fourth of July card for the UFC.
In Vegas for International Fight Week, women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk offered to step in for the much bigger ‘Lioness’ and battle Shevchenko, who ironically beat “Joanna Champion” three times through her decorated combat sports career. Jedrzejczyk posted she was trying to make the fight happen on Instagram:
In the video, Jedrzejczyk plead with White as she wrestled ATT coach Mike Brown, goading her boss to ‘make it happen’ in ‘their city’ and get the medicals done:
“Come on Dana, come on UFC,” she said on a video. “Make it happen. Talk to the commission. Let’s have the medicals done. This is your city. Come on Dana, make it happen. I’m in shape.”
But while she said she was in fighting shape on the Instagram video, Jedrzejczyk addressed the camera directly to admit that while she wasn’t quite in fight shape as of now, she was still willing to step in on short notice and “break” Shevchenko if the promotion needed that before offering a hello to Ronda Rousey (transcribed by MMA Junkie):
“OK guys – I just got phone call from Dana, and of course I’m not in shape to fight, 100 percent” Jedrzejczyk said. “But I’m going to be honest with you, if they want me, they need me today, I step into the octagon today. Tonight, I just break Valentina. And I feel sorry to her. Of course, Amanda is sick, it sucks. (Expletive) happens sometimes.
“But yeah. So guys, train hard, train smart, and prepare well for the fight. I will see you later. Let me keep some training. And best regard to Ronda Rousey. I’m so sorry I couldn’t come today. Wish I could meet you, you the champ.”
UFC President Dana White also wrote his own Instagram post praising Jedrzejzyk, heaping attention on his 115-pound champion for being a “badass”:
But it wasn’t meant to be, ultimately, as White revealed to MMA Junkie’s John Morgan that the Nevada State Athletic Commission . (NSAC) would never let the bout take place on such short notice:
Just spoke with @danawhite, and he said @joannamma was begging him to step in and take the fight. NSAC would never allow, but #gangster. https://t.co/Len2uQg0wM
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) July 8, 2017
If they did, however, Shevchenko was apparently ready to go and fight Jedrzejczyk for the first UF 125-pound championship, a division that has been oft-discussed this year but yet to debut or crown a champion:
.@danawhite @joannamma said she is ready to fight today.
I am ready now 100%!
Let's do it for the title belt in 125 lbs. Today!#UFC213 pic.twitter.com/QQWXiQdgVI— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) July 8, 2017
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