Former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk hasn’t competed since her epic, “Fight of the Night” war against fellow ex-titleholder Weili Zhang back in March 2020, a five-round slugfest that left the quick-fisted Pole with considerable damage to her dome.
But we’re now approaching the two-year mark and fans are getting restless for Jedrzejczyk’s return. As of this writing, the plan is to move forward with a “Magnum” rematch, but their 115-pound do-over continues to get pushed back for reasons not yet understood.
“I heard Zhang Weili may not be back until late July or August,” Jedrzejczyk revealed on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “What they told me was that she was planning on being back to fighting March-April and then May-June. The last thing I heard was July-August. I can wait, and I want to wait, but on the other hand, I don’t want to wait that long. It’s complicated because all the girls [ranked] from 1 to 10 are booked. But like I said, I’m only looking at the big, big, big fights.”
In her absence, reigning UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas — who holds victories over both Jedrzejczyk and Weili — will defend her 115-pound strap in a rematch against former “Ultimate Fighter” rival and fellow ex-champion Carla Esparza.
All Jedrzejczyk can do is wait for Weili.
“It seems like she’s training,” Jedrzejczyk continued. “She’s posting pictures. She’s training, so I would really love to fight her sooner than August. I’m talking to Dan Lambert, Jennifer Goldstein, who is my manager, CAA management, we’re all trying to stay in touch with the UFC, with Mick and make another decision. Jorge [Masvidal] told me, ‘I was in the spot where you’re at now, be patient.’ Jorge said that, so thanks Jorge, I will be patient.”
Fickle fans may not share her sentiment.