Tag: Joanna Jedrzejczyk

China’s Song Yadong sees UFC champ Zhang Weili beating Joanna Jedrzejczyk: ‘She has better striking technique’

UFC on ESPN 7’s Song Yadong sees women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili beating former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] doesn’t think the UFC’s strawweight champion will lose her belt in her next title defense.

The Team Alpha Male fighter, who’s set to compete at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C., against Cody Stamann, thinks Zhang Weili will defeat Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her first title defense, scheduled for UFC 248 in March.

It’s hard to deny that Weili is a threat to anyone competing at 115 pounds, but Yadong (14-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) sees Weili being better on the feet than Jedrzejczyk, who’s known to be one of the best strikers in women’s MMA.

“I believe she’s going to win her next fight,” Yadong said at Thursday’s media day for UFC DC. “She is faster, stronger, and she has better striking technique compared to her opponent.”

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Yadong, who like Weili is also from China, says things have changed back home ever since Zhang was able to dethrone then-champion Jessica Andrade in August.

“After Weili got her UFC title, there is more interest in getting to know UFC and MMA,” Yadong said. “More people now know China has its own champion, so it was a big improvement for MMA in China after she won.”

For more from Yadong, check out the full video interview above.

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Duke Roufus to help train Zhang Weili for UFC strawweight title defense vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili will turn to one of MMA’s best coaches to close out training camp for her first title defense.

Duke Roufus will be joining forces with one of the UFC’s newest champions.

The head coach of Roufusport MMA in Milwaukee, Wis., Roufus announced via Instagram on Tuesday that he’ll be helping UFC strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] prepare for her first title defense against [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] at UFC 248, which takes place March 7.

Roufus said he’ll help the Chinese champion finish off her training camp at Roufusport so she can get acclimated to the U.S. before the fight.

Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is coming off a big knockout win over then-champion Jessica Andrade in August. She hasn’t lost since her pro debut, amassing a 20-fight winning streak.

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Meanwhile, Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is ridding a two-fight winning streak at strawweight. She’s 2-3 in her last five bouts, all losses coming in championship fights against Rose Namajunas and Valentina Shevchenko.

Roufus is regarded as one of the best MMA coaches. Most notably he’s trained fighters such as Anthony and Sergio Pettis, Paul Felder, Maycee Barber, Ben Askren, and others.

Below is Roufus’ announcement:

View this post on Instagram

Martial Arts makes the World a better place & a smaller planet. I am excited to announce I will be assisting the @ufc Straw Weight Champion @zhangweilimma & her team for her Title Defense vs legendary Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk March 7 in Las Vegas. Thanks Coach @cai8005457 & the great people from China for the friendship. Weili will finish her training at @roufusport with her whole team to acclimate to the USA. Special thanks to our friend @tulsigabbard for helping Weili obtain her Visa to the USA. Thank you very much @suckerpunchent for creating this wonderful friendship & collaboration “The Shaolin & Rou-Tang Could be Dangerous” @wutangclan #martialarts is #life 🥋#weilizhang #zhangweili #tulsigabbard #usa #china #chinese #mma #chinesemma #sanda #kungfu #gungfu #wushu #ufc #ufc248 @roufusport #roufusportmma #roufusport #routangclan #positivevibes

A post shared by Duke Roufus Official (@coachdukeroufus) on

Martial Arts makes the World a better place & a smaller planet. I am excited to announce I will be assisting the @ufc Straw Weight Champion @zhangweilimma & her team for her Title Defense vs legendary Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk March 7 in Las Vegas. Thanks Coach @cai8005457 & the great people from China for the friendship. Weili will finish her training at @roufusport with her whole team to acclimate to the USA. Special thanks to our friend @tulsigabbard for helping Weili obtain her Visa to the USA. Thank you very much @suckerpunchent for creating this wonderful friendship & collaboration “The Shaolin & Rou-Tang Could be Dangerous” @wutangclan #martialarts is #life 🥋#weilizhang #zhangweili #tulsigabbard #usa #china #chinese #mma #chinesemma #sanda #kungfu #gungfu #wushu #ufc #ufc248 @roufusport #roufusportmma #roufusport #routangclan #positivevibes

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Cynthia Calvillo says Joanna Jedrzejczyk a dream fight: ‘She’s always been the most dominant’

Cynthia Calvillo says a matchup with former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk is one of her dream fights.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] is aiming right at the top of the division.

With only one career blemish, top-ranked strawweight Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) currently is riding a two-fight winning streak as she heads into her Saturday fight against Marina Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 7.

With a win, she hopes to one day face a former UFC strawweight queen, [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who she said is a “dream fight.”

“One of my dream fights, and what I hope to get one day, is to be able to fight Joanna Jedrzejczyk,” Calvillo told MMA Junkie. “She’s always been the most dominant strawweight fighter ever, and so I would love to fight her some day. If not, (Zhang) Weili, whenever – next year, I’ll be ready for sure. Weili was No. 6 when she got her title shot, so you never know what could happen.”

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Calvillo was initially slated to take on former UFC strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha, but the fight fell through. She now takes on an undefeated rising prospect in Rodriguez. Calvillo said she is happy with the direction the division is heading and all the new talent that has emerged.

“The strawweight division right now is the hottest female weight division, hands down,” Calvillo said. “I mean, you don’t see fights like that. You do see Amanda Nunes – she is pound-for-pound the best female fighter right now. But as far as which one is the most stacked women’s division, that will be the strawweight division, and I’m excited. There’s so many great fighters. For a long time, for the first couple of years, it was always the same top 10 fighters on the top, and I think all those ladies are making their way out and all the new blood is coming up. I’m stoked. I’m really excited and I’m happy that some of the women that I still want to fight are still sitting up there at the top.”

With current UFC 115-pound champ Weili expected to face Jedrzejczyk next, Calvillo gave her take, and said she doesn’t foresee the title changing hands.

“I think it’s going to be a dope striking fight,” Calvillo said. “Honestly, I don’t know how that fight would go. Weili does hit pretty darn hard. She is really, really explosive. Obviously, I don’t think it’s going to be a grappling match from either of them. I think it’s just going to be a striker’s delight – awesome standup fight, and someone is going to get knocked out. But I’m not sure if Joanna will get the job done. I’m almost leaning toward Weili right now.”

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Champ Zhang Weili, Joanna Jedrzejczyk agree to UFC 248 title fight

Former longtime strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk will have the chance to regain the title against Zhang Weili in March.

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]’s first UFC strawweight title defense will come against the division’s most successful champion.

Former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] will attempt to regain the crown when she challenges Weili for the 115-pound belt at UFC 248, which takes place March 7 at a location to be determined.

MMA Junkie confirmed with multiple people close to the situation that the verbal agreements are in place for the matchup following an initial report from MMA Fighting. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

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Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), the No. 1 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, claimed UFC gold in August with a stunning first-round knockout of Jessica Andrade. The Chinese champ’s victory extended her winning streak to 20 consecutive fights dating back to April 2014.

No. 5 Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will have her chance to regain the belt she lost to Rose Namajunas in November 2017. The Polish fighter has since dropped a rematch to Namajunas and a flyweight title fight against Valentina Shevchenko, but has picked up a pair of quality wins, as well, with the latest coming against Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3004: Jon Jones-Dominick Reyes reaction, Bellator London recap, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the latest MMA news and notes, including the biggest fight booking of the week.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On episode 3,004 of the podcast, the guys break down the latest MMA news and notes, as well as unpack Bellator Europe 6 from over the weekend in London.

The rundown

  • It’s official. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] will defend his UFC light heavyweight title vs. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] on Feb. 8 in Houston. Is Reyes ready for this massive challenge, or is it too soon?
  • With [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] left on the outside looking in, should they be booked against each other as insurance? It’d be a rematch of a 2015 fight won by Anderson.
  • Bellator Europe 6 took place Saturday and ended with another highlight-reel knockout by [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag], who finished Giovanni Melillo with one punch early in the first round. Afterward, Page called for a rematch with welterweight champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag]. Where does Bellator go next with MVP?
  • Did you catch UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] on the set of ESPN “College Gameday” before the Ohio State-Penn State football game? That was cool, wasn’t it? More of this, Stipe.
  • UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] seems to be stirring the pot with [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]. What do we think of this?
  • [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] is back! Maybe. And he’ll be working with UFC president Dana White! Maybe. What do we make of this?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

UFC champ Zhang Weili envisions finishing ‘angry and emotional’ Joanna Jedrzejczyk early

“I think she sounds very angry all the time, and her emotions will get her in trouble.”

It appears UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] will be making her first title defense against former 115-pound queen [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag].

At least that’s what UFC president Dana White alluded to when he said earlier this week that he’s very excited about the matchup, which has been brewing. Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) have not minced words toward each other. In a recent interview with South China Morning Post, Jedrzejczyk said she’s willing to take a canoe to China to beat the (expletive) out of Weili.

Weili believes Jedrzejczyk’s emotions will cost her, as she envisions an early finish in their potential fight, just like when she won the title in 42 seconds by stopping Jessica Andrade in August.

“I think she sounds very angry all the time, and her emotions will get her in trouble,” Weili told MMA Junkie in a direct message. “She is willing to fight me now, but there was a time she didn’t want to fight me, as well. I am ready anytime for battle. Just call my manager Mr. Brian (Butler) and the boss Dana, and we can fight next week.”

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“I am always looking to finish a fight as soon as I can so my opponent doesn’t have to endure long periods of damage,” Weili added. “I see the fight ending in one or two rounds. I think Joanna possesses great skill with her striking, along with good power, but I believe in my training and team to have me ready to beat her anywhere.”

After losing her title to Rose Namajunas in 2017, Jedrzejczyk endured a rough stretch in her career, falling in a rematch to Namajunas, as well as a failed attempt to capture the flyweight title vs. Valentina Shevchenko. Jedrzejczyk had dropped three of her last four bouts, but she is back in pursuit of reclaiming her throne, defeating Michelle Waterson via unanimous decision last month in Tampa.

Jedrzejczyk, who said she was promised a title shot with a win over Waterson, is determined to get her title back, but Weili is confident she will shut her down.

“I think she is very angry and emotional, and I will calm her down,” Weili said.

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Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk? Dana White digs it

After Dana White chimed in expressing his interest, it appears all that’s left in making a big strawweight grudge match is figuring out the details.

They don’t have a date, time, or place yet, but UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] clearly want to fight each other.

And their promoter has made it just as clear it’s a fight he wants to see.

Jedrzejczyk, who earned her way back into the 115-pound title discussion with a recent and impressive five-round victory over Michelle Waterson, made waves recently when she told the South China Morning Post that she’s ready to fight, and that if it means she’ll get a title shot, she’s willing to fight Zhang, the first Chinese-born UFC champion, on her home turf.

“Anywhere, anytime,” she told the Post. “Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Warsaw, Toronto, it doesn’t matter where. For me, it doesn’t matter. I will make my way. Even if we have to take a canoe, I will make it to China and beat the (expletive) out of her.”

Wang, for her part, responded on her Instagram page that she is “ready now.”

A red-hot current champ has beef with a rebounding former champ? Is that … do we hear … yes, that’s Dana White’s music.

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The UFC president made it clear on his Instagram on Monday that this is a fight he’ll make as soon as he can. 

View this post on Instagram

This is going to be a VERY fun fight!!!!!

A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite) on

Sounds like we know what one of the first hot fights of 2020 will be.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Zhang Weili hints at Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight: ‘I still await the battle contract’

In a recent Instagram post, UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili has hinted that Joanna Jedrzejczyk might be her first title defense.

Recently crowned UFC strawweight queen [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] is enjoying the increased exposure of being a UFC champion, but it won’t be long before her attention turns to her first title defense. And her latest Instagram post may have hinted at the identity of her first challenge as champion.

Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) posted on Tuesday night to share her endorsement for a protein powder company, with a short video of her talking about the product. But it was the accompanying message that may have revealed who her next opponent might be.

After plugging her protein, Weili finished her message with a short addendum: “*also I still await the battle contract.”

That was followed by three emojis: a fist, a pen and a Polish flag, which suggests that a matchup with [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] looks likely, and Weili is simply waiting for the bout agreement to land in her inbox (via Instagram):

Back in October, Weili suggested that former strawweight champ Jedrzejczyk  (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) wouldn’t be her first-choice opponent, with reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko her preferred next fight.

Speaking at UFC at ESPN 6, Weili said, “I definitely want to fight the best of the best, and I think Valentina is the best among the female athletes, so that’s why I want to fight her.”

But it seems the UFC may opt to give Weili a title defense, rather than a step up, in her next outing, and she said that if Jedrzejczyk was the UFC matchmakers’ choice, she’d roll with it.

“For my own division, Rose (Namajunas) is a very good fighter and I respect her a lot,” she said. “But if the UFC wants me to fight Joanna, no problem. I can definitely beat her.”

It will all depend on whose name appears on the sheet when the “battle contract” comes through. But it looks like Weili is ready to go, whomever she’s matched up with.

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