Tag: Joanna Jedrzejczyk

NEW YORK – [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] may be enjoying retirement life, but admits she has thoughts of returning for one more fight.

The former UFC strawweight champion called an end to her historic career after dropping a second straight fight to Zhang Weili at UFC 275 in June. Jedrzejczyk said she entered that fight in the best shape of her career, but after the result, decided it was time to move on as a competitor.

However, given the nature of the abrupt decision and the excitement that comes with being present at a big fight week like UFC 281, Jedrzejczyk has considered the idea of putting on the gloves once again for a true send-off bout.

“Sometimes I feel that I should give one more fight, I should give the last dance for fans because we had no time,” Jedrzejczyk told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. “I was not prepared, and they were not prepared to say goodbye. So, like I said, it was the best camp in my fighting career, you know? The last camp was the best camp, and I was in such a good shape.”

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If the result of her last fight against Weili went differently, Jedrzejczyk admits she would still be in fight mode, ready to compete this week at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m not scared of losing, I’m scared of losing by knockout, you know?” Jedrzejczyk said. “I want to stay healthy. I want to stay healthy, and there’s a thin line, you know? I didn’t want to cross.”

During her 15-fight career in the UFC, Jedrzejczyk was on the receiving end of two knockout finishes, both to former champions Weili and Rose Namajunas.

If Jedrzejczyk decides to remain retired, a decision she says she is ultimately happy with, she will continue to focus on helping other fighters and pursuing management.

“I’m super happy to be a part of the UFC and I’m looking forward to doing even more,” Jedrzejczyk said. “But I feel like I need to find what I would love to do with the UFC. … I want to be a manager and I want to take care of the fighters, and I’m planning to learn more about (it).”

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Heading into UFC 275, American Top Team head coach Mike Brown’s focus was on training [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] to beat Zhang Weili and nothing else.

Things didn’t their way, though, this past June after Jedrzejczyk was knocked out in the second round by Weili with a spinning backfist. The fight was Jedrzejczyk’s first since her epic war with Weili in March 2020, which the former UFC strawweight champion also lost.

Losing a second time to Weili was a tough pill for Jedrzejczyk to swallow, and afterward she took off her gloves to announce her retirement inside the cage. It was a move that didn’t surprise Brown.

“Honestly I didn’t think too much about it. I was thinking we expected to win,” Brown told MMA Junkie. “… I wasn’t thinking or dwelling on what might happen if things don’t go our way, but after things didn’t go our way, I wasn’t surprised. She’s accomplished so much. I think she’s done enough. Maybe it’s time to do some other things. She’s got a lot of opportunity, a lot of people knocking on her door, a lot of people saying, ‘What about this? What about that?’ I think it’s about taking care of some of these other opportunities she has and taking some time off. I wasn’t super surprised.”

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At 35, Jedrzejczyk’s combat sports career lasted nearly two decades. She is one of the trailblazers of women’s MMA and put the 115-pound division on the map with a record five title defenses.

She recently told MMA Junkie that she “could be fighting” still and wasn’t hip to Dana White’s idea of putting her in the UFC Hall of Fame just yet. If that means Jedrzejczyk eventually returns to the cage, Brown would accept her with open arms – but he’s also OK if her fighting career truly is over.

“Of course, if that’s what she wanted to do,” Brown said. “She’s healthy, which is crazy she’s had no major injuries after all these years of fighting. Of course I would be on board, but I would also be really content with her retiring, and hopefully we’ll see her in the Hall of Fame very soon.”

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ABU DHABI – [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] retired from professional fighting, but she does not intend to leave the sport altogether.

The former UFC women’s strawweight champion wants to move into a management role in the future, as she feels there’s a much need to help fighters who are being taken advantage of by managers.

Jedrzejczyk describes these managers as “rats,” and she feels she can make a big difference given her knowledge as a former fighter.

“(I want to) Protect them because there’s so many rats that are trying to get a piece of them,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie. “I want to share my knowledge, you know? So many ups and downs in my fighting career and life in general, but I’m the person who learns from every situation in life.

“I just want to share this with the other fighters and, like I said, somehow protect them.”

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Jedrzejczyk lists UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot, who competes this Saturday against Beneil Dariush at UFC 280, as a prime example of a gifted fighter who could’ve been taken advantage of by a manager.

“Before he got into the UFC, he was a two-weight class champion in KSW, and the managers – and I’m an honest person, were like, ‘Gamrot we got you a contract, we got you a contract. Just sign with us. You have to share 20, 30 percent of your fee, but we get you into the UFC.’

“Bullsh*t, because I was in touch with Sean Shelby and I was so thankful that they finally signed Mateusz Gamrot. I was like, ‘Mateusz, I know they promised you, and you really want to be in the UFC and you want to be the champion one day, but let’s keep it calm and easier. Let’s use the small spoon. And I’m telling you, you will be there without sharing a fee, and that’s a good thing.’

“Of course, Dan Lambert was responsible and he’s the main person who helps all of us American Top Team fighters, and he almost all, all of us. He helped Mateusz Gamrot get into the UFC. But that’s the way: I want to use my knowledge and my experience to let fighters – just to protect them and help them save as much as they can because tomorrow you can get injured, and you’re not going to be able to fight anymore. That’s the thing.”

Jedrzejczyk retired in June of this year after fighting for 10 years professionally. She remains the most dominant strawweight champion in UFC history, holding the record for most consecutive title defenses in the division with five.

Jedrzejczyk, who held the title from 2015 to 2017, has notable wins over Jessica Andrade, Michelle Waterson, Tecia Torres, Claudia Gadelha, and current champion Carla Esparza, among others.

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ABU DHABI – [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] is grateful UFC president Dana White plans to put her in the UFC Hall of Fame, but she’s not rushing to get enshrined.

Jedrzejczyk (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), a former longtime UFC strawweight champion, retired from MMA competition in June following a knockout loss to Zhang Weili in their anticipated rematch at UFC 275.

Shortly after she hung up the gloves, White revealed Jedrzejczyk eventually will join Ronda Rousey as the second female in history to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. When that’s going to happen remains to be seen, but Jedrzejczyk said she’s not in a hurry.

“I feel so young and I feel like I could be fighting, because the last camp was really the best camp of my life,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie. “It’s hard. I wanted to be the UFC champion one more time – not the Hall of Famer … not the retired old lady. It will be an honor. But we will see. Maybe they will surprise me one day, but I don’t think I’m ready to be a grandma.”

At 35, Jedrzejczyk’s combat sports career lasted nearly two decades. She is one of the trailblazers of women’s MMA and put the 115-pound division on the map with a record five title defenses.

Prior to the rematch with Weili, it had been more than two years since Jedrzejczyk fought. She said she wasn’t expecting to walk away when she did, but at the time felt like it was the correct choice. Will that last forever, though? She said she can’t make any guarantees just yet.

“I thought that I was going fight more because before my last fight I signed a new deal with UFC for six fights,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I feel like it was the right decision for that moment. It isn’t easy. I always wanted to retire on my rules. I could keep doing this. I’m healthy and I have said that I want to be a businesswoman and be a mom, because the last 19 years I’ve been traveling, training and working so hard I had no personal life. I used to say I was sacrificing, but no – I’m investing. Now I’m enjoying. We’ll see. I don’t like to do things halfway. I always go 100 percent. We will see. But being a Hall of Famer, it’s a big dream – same as being UFC champion.”

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