Former undisputed UFC strawweight champion, Zhang Weili has criticized the performance of two-time opponent, Rose Namajunas during her UFC 274 title loss against Carla Esparza last month in Pheonix, Arizona – claiming the former only intended to “take care” of her title rather than putting in a performance which would retain it. Weili, a two-time […]
Former undisputed UFC strawweight champion, Zhang Weili has criticized the performance of two-time opponent, Rose Namajunas during her UFC 274 title loss against Carla Esparza last month in Pheonix, Arizona – claiming the former only intended to “take care” of her title rather than putting in a performance which would retain it.
Weili, a two-time opponent of Namajunas, suffered her lone UFC losses against the ONX Labs trainee, the first of which came in a shocking first round title loss against Namajunas – courtesy of a brutal high-kick knockout in April of last year.
Returning in an immediate undisputed championship rematch at UFC 268 in November, Weili suffered a more comprehensive unanimous decision loss to the two-time titleholder.
Set to return this weekend in an attempt to snap a two-fight skid, Hebei native, Weili welcomes former champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk back to the Octagon for the first time since their momentous UFC 248 battle – as the pair engage in a clear-cut title-eliminator at 115lbs.
Sharing her thoughts on Namajunas’ criticized performance at UFC 274 in the ‘Copper State’, Weili claimed that the now-former champion only intended on taking care of her undisputed title – to her detriment.
“I feel like, definitely Rose (Namajunas) was feeling a lot of pressure when she stepped into the Octagon, Zhang Weili said through an interpreter during her media availability ahead of UFC 275 in Singapore. “Definitely, she wanted to take care of her belt and didn’t want to fight hard, wanted to fight more strategically and easily against Carla (Esparza).
“But, as a champion, as an MMA fighter, you should not think about that,” Zhang Weili said. “Tou should always, in the fight, (give) your everything into the Octagon, and fight your heart out. I don’t think Rose should fight with an attitude like (that).”
Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk were both heralded for their UFC 248 performance
Weili’s most recent professional victory came in the form of her first and ultimately sole successful title defense against the aforenoted, Jedrzejczyk back in March 2020, defeating her upcoming opponent with a close, split decision victory in the consensus 2020 Fight of the Year.
UFC 275 is right around the corner, and we’ve got our staff predictions ready for the international affair! UFC 275 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The main card begins at 10:00 PM ET, and the ESPN preliminary card kicks off at 8:00 PM. The early preliminary card starts…
UFC 275 is right around the corner, and we’ve got our staff predictions ready for the international affair!
UFC 275 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The main card begins at 10:00 PM ET, and the ESPN preliminary card kicks off at 8:00 PM. The early preliminary card starts at 6:30 PM. The event will take place from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
The main event will feature Glover Teixeira defending the light heavyweight championship against prolific finisher Ji?í Procházka. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko will look to continue her reign of terror over the flyweight division when she faces the 19-1 Taila Santos.
But it is the last fight before the two championship bouts that may lay claim to the “People’s Main Event” title when the 2020 Fight of the Year rematch between Zhang Weili and Joanna J?drzejczyk takes place.
Also on the main card will be a welterweight scrap between Jack Della Maddalena and Ramazan Emeev preceded by a flyweight bout between Rogério Bontorin and Manel “Starboy” Kape.
Staff Predictions for UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Procházka
MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 275 updates. Harvey Leonard, Andrew Starc and Drew Beaupré have provided their picks for you below.
Here is the full main card for UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Procházka
Light Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Glover Teixeira (c) vs. Ji?í Procházka
Women’s Strawweight: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna J?drzejczyk
Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Ramazan Emeev
Flyweight: Rogério Bontorin vs. Manel Kape
Rogério Bontorin vs. Manel Kape
Harvey Leonard: After an underwhelming start, Kape has begun to show why he was so highly touted after making the switch from Rizin to the UFC. When he’s not gun-shy and lets his creative limbs fly, “Starboy” can challenge the best of them.
But while he’s got the edge in form, this could be a rough one for Kape stylistically. Bontorin is clearly the greater grappler, and I don’t trust the Portuguese-Angolan to fight smart to avoid the Brazilian’s level changes. Whether through the scorecards or a submission, I think Bontorin stalls Kape’s surge. (Prediction: Rogério Bontorin)
Andrew Starc: After losing his first two UFC bouts, Manel Kape redeemed himself in the second half of last year, earning back-to-back knockout wins against Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov. #8 ranked flyweight Rogério Bontorin, meanwhile, is winless in his last four, having most recently lost via split decision to Brandon Royval.
While Bontorin is a big step up in competition for the #13 ranked Kape, I think he has the KO power to earn his third successive stoppage win. (Prediction: Manel Kape)
Drew Beaupré: If Joanna vs. Zhang wasn’t on this card, this flyweight bout would have all the makings of a Fight of the Night favorite. Kape has a ton of momentum right now after consecutive first-round knockouts, while Bontorin has gone 1-3 in his last four bouts.
I think the real question here is going to be how willingly Bontorin goes to his grappling. He’s averaged just under three takedown attempts per fifteen minutes in his UFC career, and he was willing to go for takedowns against a dangerous grappler in Brandon Royval in his last fight. He’s no slouch on the feet, but if these two stand and trade Kape is more likely to land something big and finish the fight.
There might be some dangerous moments for Bontorin in the first few minutes, but I think the Brazilian has a clear edge on the ground that he should take advantage of as the fight goes on. (Prediction: Rogério Bontorin)
Consensus: 2-1 Bontorin
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Ramazan Emeev
Harvey Leonard: This is a pretty clear clash of styles. While, in the words of McGregor, the Aussie will hope to ‘box the bleedin’ head off him’, the Russian will be looking to set up takedowns and establish top position. Della Maddalena is obviously a prospect to watch, but I think this challenge is coming slightly too early for him.
The 25-year-old has showed some vulnerability to takedowns in his career and given up some rounds on the ground. Although not a Khabib-esque pressure wrestler, Emeev is a talented grappler, and there aren’t many tougher tests for a young striker than a Dagestani. I expect Della Maddalena to take risks on the feet, opening up chances for the Russian to change levels. From there, the veteran wins on the scorecards. (Prediction: Ramazan Emeev)
Andrew Starc: Aussie Jack Della Maddalena put on a showcase of clinical, measured striking in his first-round demolition of Pete Rodriguez in January. While Rodriguez had just four fights to his name, Della Maddalena is riding an 11-fight win streak and looks ready to test himself against a veteran grappler like Ramazan Emeev.
Emeev hasn’t finished an opponent in nearly six years, while Della Maddalena has only gone to the judges once in his career. This is a classic “KO artist versus grappler” battle that I think will see Della Maddalena emerge victorious with yet another stoppage win. (Prediction: Jack Della Maddalena)
Drew Beaupré: The main card of UFC 275 opens with what could work out as a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. The UFC are clearly pretty high on Maddalena, as he’s opening a Pay-Per-View after just one UFC win and a win on Contender Series. His striking looked great on Contender Series and he scored a big first-round finish in his debut, but this fight with Emeev should answer some questions about the depth of his skill set.
As impressive as Maddalena’s debut was, he was facing another debuting fighter that only had four pro fights. That being said, Emeev’s ability to execute his grappling didn’t exactly look all that convincing his last time out against Danny Roberts. Emeev could definitely play spoiler here, but I’ll take the 25-year-old Aussie to continue gaining momentum and pick up his second UFC win with a comprehensive striking performance. (Prediction: Jack Della Maddalena)
Consensus: 2-1 Della Maddalena
Zhang Weili vs. Joanna J?drzejczyk
Harvey Leonard: There’s so much to consider here. Will three rounds affect two fighters used to five? Will there be a psychological impact based on the damage sustained in the first fight? Will J?drzejczyk’s two-year layoff play into it? I feel like all of it comes together to form a pick’em.
While on paper, Zhang is entering this bout on a two-fight skid, I believe she did enough to beat Namajunas last November. With that in mind, aside from being caught at UFC 261 by a vicious head kick, there’s not much of a blemish on the Chinese star’s record. I believe Zhang is the most talented strawweight in the UFC right now, and although J?drzejczyk will likely come close to matching her strike-for-strike, I narrowly give the edge to “Magnum.” (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Andrew Starc: It’s the sequel to the widely regarded greatest women’s MMA fight of all time and a potential strawweight title eliminator. In their first epic encounter, Weili Zhang defended her title against Joanna J?drzejczyk by the narrowest of margins, but since then, she’s racked up back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas.
J?drzejczyk, meanwhile, has been on the sidelines this entire time. Zhang came close to defeating Namajunas in their second meeting in November, and I think she’ll get it done against J?drzejczyk. (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Drew Beaupré: Both of these women have a new lease on life in the strawweight division now that Carla Esparza is champion. Zhang and J?drzejczyk both have two losses to Rose Namajunas, and for Joanna especially seeing Esparza as champion must be extremely encouraging for any hopes of regaining the title. It’s a shame that this fight is only three rounds after the five-round war these ladies had the first time out, but I think it being shorter will favor Zhang.
Joanna’s best round in terms of strikes landed from the first fight was the fifth, and Zhang was at her strongest in the second fight with Namajunas through the first three rounds. I think “Magnum” will be able to get enough done early to win two rounds, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if this bout ends up as another controversial split-decision. (Prediction: Zhang Weili)
Consensus: 3-0 Zhang
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos
Image Credits: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Harvey Leonard: The last time a female champion defended the belt as a massive favorite, I fell on the same side as most. At UFC 269, I dismissed Julianna Peña’s chances owing to Amanda Nunes’ dominance, completely avoiding legitimate arguments like “styles win fights,” for which I’ve learned my lesson.
Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that lesson here.
Shevchenko is simply levels above every flyweight on the current roster, and while Santos has an impressive record, she’s not close to “Bullet” in any area right now. Barring any freak injuries or unlikely drama on the scale, Shevchenko adds a seventh defense to her résumé. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Andrew Starc: Heavy-handed and extremely athletic, Taila Santos could cause problems for Valentina Shevchenko. The 28-year-old entered the UFC via the Contender Series in 2019, losing her debut bout to Mara Romero Borella. But she’s since gone on a four-fight win streak, having finished Joanne Wood via first-round submission in her last bout in November.
But Santos is facing a fighter who’s finished four of her last six opponents, and other than being taken down briefly by Jennifer Maia, has looked virtually untouchable. I’m predicting Shevchenko to earn a decision win here. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Drew Beaupré: Talia Santos has put together a nice little win streak through her last four fights to earn this title shot. Unfortunately, it does feel like this is a case of her being rushed into a title fight because Shevchenko needs a challenger. Santos’ only opponent during that streak currently in the UFC’s Top 15 is #10-ranked Joanne Wood, who has historically struggled against grapplers.
I’m interested to see if Santos is able to take away Shevchenko’s space to strike and work for takedowns against the fence, but even if she gets the champion down, I don’t think she’ll be able to keep her there. “Bullet” has finished her last two opponents from top position, but this has the makings of a unanimous decision where Shevchenko is comfortably out landing the Brazilian for most of the fight. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Consensus: 3-0 Shevchenko
Glover Teixeira (c) vs. Ji?í Procházka
Image Credits: Chris Unger/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Harvey Leonard: It’s always hard to predict fights that seemingly boil down to where the bout will be fought, on the ground or on the feet. The champion’s BJJ skills are clear, and we saw Procházka show some vulnerability to takedowns when he faced Bellator titleholder Vadim Nemkov back in 2015.
But in that fight, and aside from a 2013 submission loss, the Czech’s defense seemed sound and the offense from his back effective, and he’s certainly got the power to explode to his feet. With that in mind, I’m going to back “Denisa” to create a ‘moment’ on the feet with his unique and powerful striking and become the latest European champ. (Prediction: Ji?í Procházka)
Andrew Starc: Ji?í Procházka’s MMA record is something to behold. 25 of his 28 career wins have come via knockout, including his last 10. And he’s already fighting for the title just three fights into his UFC stint. In his last fight against Dominick Reyes, however, Procházka was tested and at one point even lost consciousness briefly.
It almost seems inevitable that Procházka will do to Teixeira what he’s done to most of his opponents. The question is whether the Brazilian can take the fight to the ground like he did against Jan Blachowicz. But before he can do that, can Teixeira withstand the juggernaut that is Procházka? I don’t think so. I’m predicting another knockout for the Czech samurai. (Prediction: Ji?í Procházka)
Drew Beaupré: Teixeira winning the belt at age 42 over seven years removed from his first UFC title shot is still one of the best feel-good MMA stories in recent memory. The dynamic here should be pretty similar to the Brazilian’s run to the title, as Teixeira made a habit of weathering an early storm before coming on later and using his grappling to get the win. Procházka is a dynamic finisher, but also a very experienced fighter with nearly thirty pro bouts prior to joining the UFC.
Without having seem him dragged into deep waters, there’s obviously a question of how his cardio would hold up if Teixeira is smothering him in the later rounds. This fight favors the Brazilian the longer it goes, but I think “Denisa” will put it on Teixeira early and won’t give him the chance to utilize his grappling. (Prediction: Ji?í Procházka)
Consensus: 3-0 Procházka
That’ll do it for our UFC 275 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the UFC 275 undercard below.
Preliminary Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 8:00 PM ET)
Featherweight Seung Woo Choi vs. Joshua Culibao Middleweight Jacob Malkoun vs. Brendan Allen Lightweight: Steve Garcia vs. Hayisaer Maheshate Bantamweight: Kang Kyung-ho vs. Danaa Batgerel
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 6:30 PM ET)
Welterweight Jake Matthews vs. André Fialho Women’s Strawweight: Liang Na vs. Silvana Gómez Juárez Women’s Bantamweight: Ramona Pascual vs. Joselyne Edwards
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com Saturday for all the results, highlights, and updates on UFC 275!
Attempting to land a seventh consecutive successful defense of her UFC flyweight title this weekend in Singapore, Valentina Shevchenko has been touted by promotional president Dana White as that much of a force to be reckoned with, that the flyweight division appears weak. Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan, is set to headline UFC 275 this […]
Attempting to land a seventh consecutive successful defense of her UFC flyweight title this weekend in Singapore, Valentina Shevchenko has been touted by promotional president Dana White as that much of a force to be reckoned with, that the flyweight division appears weak.
Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan, is set to headline UFC 275 this weekend in Singapore – standing opposite Brazilian contender, Taila Santos as she attempts to continue her prolonged period of supremacy at 125lbs.
Landing in the division with a brutally one-sided knockout win over Priscila Cachoeira, Shevchenko, who previously competed for bantamweight gold, defeated former kickboxing rival, one-time strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk to land the vacant flyweight title back in December 2018.
Embarking on a remarkable run at flyweight since then, Shevchenko had knocked back Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, Jennifer Maia, Jessica Andrade, and Lauren Murphy as champion – recording six successful title defenses.
Valentina Shevchenko has landed an unbeaten 8-0 recordsince her flyweight move
The clear outlier at 125lbs, UFC president, Dana White has defended the status and the viewing of competition at flyweight, explaining how Shevchenko just makes her competition and the division appear weak as a whole due to her ability.
“What Valentina (Shevchenko) has accomplished, what Anderson (Silva) did during his reign, the list goes on and on,” Dana White told The Underground reporter, John Morgan, ahead of UFC 275. “That’s exactly what happens, people say the division is weak, no. Valentina Shevchenko is so good, she makes the division look weak.”
Linked with a slew of potential future matchups at flyweight, Shevchenko has also welcomed the opportunity to fight for undisputed bantamweight gold before the end of this year in a bid to become a two-weight champion – with eyes focused on July’s title rematch between former opponents, Julianna Pena, and Amanda Nunes.
On March 7, 2020, Joanna J?drzejczyk and Zhang Weili gave birth to a classic that will live eternally, despite being assigned a gender. When fans think of the greatest fights in MMA history, some fights that come to mind are those sewn with brawn and blood, scraps like Jones vs. Gustafsson, McGregor vs. Diaz II,…
On March 7, 2020, Joanna J?drzejczyk and Zhang Weili gave birth to a classic that will live eternally, despite being assigned a gender.
When fans think of the greatest fights in MMA history, some fights that come to mind are those sewn with brawn and blood, scraps like Jones vs. Gustafsson, McGregor vs. Diaz II, Lawler vs. MacDonald II, etc. Very rarely do you hear the names of women voiced into the discussion.
If ever there was a time for such a conversation to flow naturally, it was at the conclusion of Joanna J?drzejczyk’s and Zhang Weili’s frenetic exchanges at UFC 248. Those two 115-pound women earned a seat with the giants at the “Best Fights in MMA History Table.”
In fact, if you ask your humble narrator, they aren’t sitting alongside them but are rather placed at the head of the table.
That’s right, approximately eight years after women were granted entry into a 20-year-old sport, two strawweights set the standard for epic fights. Indeed, J?drzejczyk vs. Zhang had all the boxes checked when it comes to MMA classics.
Title Fight –
Non-Stop Action –
Grit, Resolve, Toughness –
Coin-Flip Competitiveness –
Heart-Racing Drama –
Sometimes, the optics of blood can add to said drama, as it adds a tangible visual to the “heart, resolve, and toughness” box. Well, I’ll see your crimson mask and raise you a Rocky Dennis.
Copyright: 2020 Jeff Bottari
The fight had skill, technique, and was about as back-and-forth as a scrap could get. There was footwork, pocket trading, clinch battles, kicks, combos, and nonstop volleys in this war between proud soldiers of Poland and China. And at the end of the fight, with the crowd giving a well-earned standing ovation, there were two sentences that helped frame the narrative around this historic encounter:
Jon Anik: “Arguably the greatest fight in women’s mixed martial arts history, as predicted by the former champion, Joanna J?drzejczyk!”
Joe Rogan: “I think we can safely say that was the greatest title fight in women’s MMA history.”
The problem with those quotes is that it restricts and labels a display that was, in actuality, transcendent beyond its peers. And the “peers” aren’t just other female fights, but rather any all-time classic in the pantheon of MMA classics.
Anik and Rogan may be the initial reactors with the largest and most immediate platform to frame this epic encounter, but fans and pundits worldwide have often, if not predominately, boxed the bout in as a WMMA classic. But in reality, it was, as Daniel Cormier indicated multiple times throughout the contest, as good as any fight of all time, regardless of gender.
Jon Anik and Joe Rogan did not frame the fight as a WMMA classic maliciously, and they are not misogynists who can’t bring themselves to allow J?drzejczyk and Zhang a seat at the table with giants. Like others who have framed it as solely an WMMA classic after them, it is more than likely a subconscious categorization.
In fact, even our very own Harvey Leonard, who credits this fight for being the last straw that persuaded him to cover this sport, has admitted to unconsciously labeling it as arguably the best women’s mixed martial arts fight as opposed to arguably the best mixed martial arts fight of all time.
Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Why is that? We don’t label Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald II as one of the best welterweight fights of all time or Gaethje vs. Chandler as one of the best lightweight fights of all time.
Sure, those claims would be true, non-demeaning, and both are honorable distinctions. But instead, they are given full, unrestricted praise for the gender- and label-free classics that they are. And if Joanna J?drzejczyk and Zhang Weili didn’t earn that same respect on the night of March 7, 2020, in front of that spellbound crowd, then that means all women are barred from the table.
And there is one other box that this all-time classic checked off: the “historic context” box.
This classic was on the final card held in front of a full crowd before the COVID-19 pandemic gave way to closed-arena shows. Given the lackluster main event that night between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero, it’s fair to say that it was Joanna J?drzejczyk and Zhang Weili who gave new meaning to the expression, “sent the crowd home happy.”
That crowd inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as well as the worldwide audience would be home for over a year with this fight branded in their memories. And it’s memories like these that Joanna J?drzejczyk was insistent on creating, or not creating art at all.
Now that live crowds are back, so, too, is the Boogeywoman, prepared to once again shock spectators with the gore and glory of an epic, life-altering MMA fight when she re-enters the Octagon for another battle with Zhang Weili this Saturday at UFC 275.
Will they be able to outdo in three rounds what they were able to create in a full-five round championship fight? Nearly impossible. But as of March 7, 2020, neither have anything to prove when it comes to all-time MMA classics.
Because even the greatest, most celebrated giants of MMA history must bend the knee to the two queens who stand shoulder to shoulder with the kings.
UFC light heavyweight contender Ji?í Procházka has admitted that he’ll be adjusting his style to deal with the unique threat of Glover Teixeira. In just two UFC appearances, Procházka has established himself as the number one contender and secured a meeting in the cage with the champion. At UFC 275, the Czech star will feature…
When asked whether he’d be retaining the wild and unpredictable style that has secured him 25 knockouts in 28 fights, most recently via spinning back elbow in the UFC Vegas 25 headliner, Procházka revealed that he’s acknowledged certain adjustments that must be made to his game if he is to dethrone Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Teixeira.
“No, (I will not fight with the same style). Because I think my last style in my last fight was changed, because I have to change this style… especially in the ground game, especially in the wrestling,” said Procházka. “That’s why I drilled that with Henry (Cejudo)… (and) back in Czech Republic with my coaches. Everybody knows my strong weapon, and my weakest weakness.
“So, that’s why I start to drill that, that’s why I start to prepare dangerous techniques in that, and I believe in myself in that much, much more than ever,” added Procházka. “I’m glad for that, to have an opponent like Glover. He’s given me the opportunity to prepare myself in these styles, to be better than ever.”
While we may not be seeing quite the same “Denisa” as we witnessed in his first two UFC outings, his fans will be hoping to see an evolved Ji?í Procházka who is capable of withstanding the grappling pedigree of Teixeira. By the sounds of it, the Czech star is confident he can do so.
Former undisputed UFC strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk is approaching her UFC 275 rematch with fellow former titleholder, Zhang Weili this weekend with the mindset of a surgeon – predicting a “medical procedure” type technical showing. Jedrzejczyk, the second strawweight champion in the history of the organization, co-headlined UFC 248 back in March of 2020 against […]
Former undisputed UFC strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk is approaching her UFC 275 rematch with fellow former titleholder, Zhang Weili this weekend with the mindset of a surgeon – predicting a “medical procedure” type technical showing.
Jedrzejczyk, the second strawweight champion in the history of the organization, co-headlined UFC 248 back in March of 2020 against then-champion, Weili, suffering a split decision loss in the consensus greatest strawweight fight of all-time and the 2020 Fight of the Year.
Scheduled to return for the first time following her two-year hiatus, Jedrzejczyk, who was removed from the official strawweight rankings due to inactivity in November of last year, will attempt to inflict Chinese standout, Weili’s third consecutive loss – after the former champion dropped her title to common-foe, Rose Namajunas, and then suffered defeat in a November immediate rematch.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk plans to make a brisk start in her rematch against Zhang Weili
Attempting to earn a title rematch with recently-minted undisputed champion, Carla Esparza with a victory over Weili in the pair’s Singapore re-run, Jedrzejczyk has the mindset of a surgeon approaching the UFC 275 clash.
“It’s going to be a medical procedure,” Joanna Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie reporter, MIke Bohn. “I’m going to be the best surgeon and I will pick the right tools and use them at the right time. Sharp.”
“I just have to put the gas pedal down and be first, violent, but smart from the first seconds of the fight,” Joanna Jedrzejczyk explained. “There is no time to be wasted in this fight, so we have to play my game from the first seconds of the fight.”
Without a victory since a UFC Fight Night Tampa main event success against Michelle Waterson, Jedrzejczyk managed to land a unanimous decision triumph at the October 2019 headliner.
Winning the title against Esparza in March 2015, Jedrzejczyk defeated the Torrance veteran with a blistering knockout, before defending the title opposite Jessica Penne, Valerie Letourneau, Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Jessica Andrade.
Attempting to land a seventh consecutive successful defense of her UFC flyweight title this weekend in Singapore, Valentina Shevchenko has been touted by promotional president Dana White as that much of a force to be reckoned with, that the flyweight division appears weak. Shevchenko, a native of Kyrgyzstan, is set to headline UFC 275 this […]
Former undisputed UFC strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk is approaching her UFC 275 rematch with fellow former titleholder, Zhang Weili this weekend with the mindset of a surgeon – predicting a “medical procedure” type technical showing. Jedrzejczyk, the second strawweight champion in the history of the organization, co-headlined UFC 248 back in March of 2020 against […]