If the UFC doesn’t grant Carla Esparza a strawweight title shot, Joanna Jedrzejczyk says she is happy to face her.
If the UFC doesn’t grant [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] a strawweight title shot, [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] is happy to fight her.
Esparza (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who’s on a five-fight winning streak and No. 2 in the official rankings. figures to be the frontrunner for a shot at UFC champion Rose Namajunas, but with Dana White recently dismissing her, Jedrzejczyk is down to rematch Esparza.
Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) dethroned Esparza in March 2015 at UFC 185 to capture the strawweight title and went on to defend it a division-record five times before losing it to Namajunas in November 2017.
“It would be an interesting fight,” Jedrzejczyk said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. “We have a good fighting history. She’s waiting for the title shot. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. She might get the title shot. She might not get it because Dana is saying something totally different than Mick (Maynard), but I don’t know. I would love to fight her and if she wants to get the title shot, I can fight her.”
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If not Esparza, Jedrzejczyk would welcome another rematch with her most recent opponent, former champion Zhang Weili. The pair engaged in the 2020 “Fight of the Year” at UFC 248 in March 2020, and Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought since she was edged out by Weili.
“She might be the next one. I don’t know,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I don’t know how much I need the fight with Weili Zhang to get the title shot in case Rose is not ready to fight in March, April because I believe she wants to rest. She put on a hell of a performance. It was a pretty tough fight, five rounds, so I bet she wants to enjoy her time as a champ, as a human. So we will see. I don’t know what the next step is going to be.”
It’s been almost two years since Jedrzejczyk has competed, but she said she plans on returning in 2022. The priority for the former champion is a trilogy bout with Namajunas for the title, but if she doesn’t get her wish, she won’t hold out on it.
“I know how to do business, as well, and I understand UFC and Dana promised me after my last fight, but I understand Rose’s position,” Jedrzejczyk said. “She’s the champ, and she can decide who she wants to fight next and when. I feel like I want to be back to the octagon March, April, so if the champ is not going to be ready, if she’s not willing to fight me, so I will take another fight because I just want to be back. I don’t want to sit here and wait another six, eight, 12 months. It’s not that UFC made the pressure on me that I have to take another fight, but I just want to do what’s good and best for me.”
Marina Rodriguez is setting her sights on the biggest names at strawweight following her win over Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN 24.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] is eyeing the biggest names at strawweight following her win over Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN 24.
Rodriguez (15-1-2 MMA, 4-1-2 UFC) outworked Waterson to a unanimous decision in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex, and though it came in the women’s flyweight division due to the short-notice nature of the bout, the result elevated the Brazilian at 115 pounds.
There are a number of fights that hold Rodriguez’s interest, but a matchup with [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), the most successful champion in the division’s history, appears to stand out above all.
“I would like to fight a couple more times this year,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at the UFC on ESPN 24 post-event news conference. “Hoping a top-three opponent next time around. Yan (Xiaonan) is fighting (Carla) Esparza now. If she wins, that could be a very good fight. Esparza I fought already, and quite recently, so it’s not a fight I’m very excited to do. Maybe one of us gets the belt and we can fight again. Joanna (Jedrzejczyk) is a fight that I’ve always been looking forward (to) and I think the fans are, too. If she’s back and considering fighting again, I would be more than willing to fight her.”
Rodriguez’s journey to UFC on ESPN 24 was a treacherous one. She got the call to fight on 11 days’ notice, she said, then had to deal with a lot of clerical hurdles in her home country in order to get the necessary documents to fight.
In between all that, Rodriguez had to travel to the United States and deal with a number of quarantine days along the way. She showed up in Las Vegas on the Wednesday of fight week, and still made weight.
It didn’t appear to hinder her in the octagon, either. Rodriguez said she knew Waterson was a tough stylistic challenge regardless of the circumstances, and she did her best to make it an entertaining fight.
“One of the big things was trying to control the distance without making it boring,” Rodriguez said. “At the end of the day that’s what we’re here for. We’re not here to put on boring fight, we’re here to entertain the fans as well. She did a very good job at avoiding it, so props to her. I came here to get a knockout if there was a chance and she didn’t put the chance out there. I tried to blitz as much as I could, but I couldn’t get the finish. But that’s props to her.”
What ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith thinks of women in combat sports is of no concern to Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
What ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith thinks of women in combat sports is of no concern to [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]. The way the former UFC strawweight champion sees it, women don’t need him on their side.
During a recent appearance on the “Black on the Air” podcast, Smith was asked about women taking on executive and leadership roles in men’s team sports. He started off his answer by directly stating his support before going off on a tangent about women trying to compete against men, specifically in boxing and MMA.
“Where I jump off the bandwagon is when they try to engage physically,” Smith said. “For example, I don’t ever want to see a woman boxing a man. I don’t want to see that. I don’t want to see a woman in the UFC fighting a man even though there are some women out there that’ll kick a dude’s butt. We get all that.
“When I think about pugilistic sports, I don’t like seeing women involved in that at all. I just don’t like it. I wouldn’t promote legislating laws to prohibit them from doing so, but I don’t want to see women punching each other in the face. I don’t want to see women fighting in the octagon and stuff like that, but that’s just me.”
Those remarks garnered a strong reaction from the MMA community on social media, including from Jedrzejczyk, one half of the consensus 2020 “Fight of the Year” against Zhang Weili at UFC 248.
I appreciate your transparency @stephenasmith. Although I wish everyone at ESPN—and throughout the world—saw women’s sports in a positive light, I assure you that we women don’t need your support.
Check out the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique” focused on the UFC’s upcoming three events on “Fight Island.”
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, host John Morgan is joined by panelists Brian Garcia from MMA Junkie Radio, as well as MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Nolan King. Let’s get into it!
SHOW TOPICS:
Future UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier recently came out and said [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s mindset is key heading into his rematch with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at UFC 257, that “The Diamond” needs to convince himself he just got caught in their first meeting. This comes on the heels of McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, stating that “The Notorious” should have a huge advantage in the mental department due to his first-round knockout in 2014, and McGregor saying he’ll score a knockout in less than a minute. The old cliche is “styles make fights,” but should it be “minds make fights”? How big is the mental aspect here?
Before UFC 257, the UFC’s “Fight Island” run kicks off with a sensational featherweight main event on network television with [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] at UFC on ABC 1. For Kattar, it’s all upside, with a real chance to prove himself among the division’s elite. But for Holloway, it’s his first non-title fight since 2016 and would seem to be a potential crossroads fight, even at just 29 years old. That being said, how much pressure is on Holloway? Is this a must-win situation?
Looking outside of “Fight Island,” UFC president Dana White recently said he’s hoping to see [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] fight in 2021 but admitted he’s not incredibly optimistic. It’s been 14 months now since Diaz has fought, and we know he’s only coming back for the biggest fights available. What fight could entice Diaz to get back in the octagon?
[autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] took home MMA Junkie “Fight of the Year” honors in 2020 for her epic battle with Zhang Weili, but right now, the former UFC champ said she’s content waiting on the sidelines until the right opportunity arises. She’d like more money and said fans are a must, and she really believes a title shot should be on the table, too. What do you make of her comments, and is there an ideal scenario you envision for her return this year?
Expecting to speak with the UFC as early as later this month, Joanna Jedrzejczyk gives an update on her fighting future.
[autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] exited the UFC cage in March with a bloodied and swollen face, fresh off a classic war against women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili.
Since then, Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) hasn’t fought and has largely stayed out of the limelight – but she isn’t retired. Jedrzejczyk recently revealed she plans on talking to the UFC as soon as sometime this month to discuss her next move.
First and foremost, Jedrzejczyk’s ideal timeline for a return is when fans are able to attend events again, which hasn’t been the case since just after UFC 248 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“There is no sport, any sport, without fans,” Jedrzejczyk said in a recent interview with SCMP MMA. “You know how I interact with the people, with fans. I need always extra motivation – (an) extra battery pack, energy pack. Maybe I would (fight without fans), but I don’t want to. I want to put it on hold (and) just wait. I really, truly believe everything is going to be behind (us) soon.”
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As for the negotiations themselves, Jedrzejczyk thinks her “Fight of the Year” performance against Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) did enough to earn herself a pay bump. Poland’s former UFC champion is happy being a member of the roster but thinks she deserves a bigger piece of the pie. If the UFC wants a rematch, they’ll need to pay up.
“I don’t want to hear me like a crazy person, but it’s a business,” Jedrzejczyk said. “There must be money behind it. I put on a hell of a fight last time. I was the co-main event, but I felt like me and Weili were the (real) deal on the show – and with the main event. … We put on a hell of a show, and I deserve more money. I deserve a bigger piece of the cake. I don’t want to complain like the other fighters. There are more than 500 fighters, but I’m a big part of this company.
“… I’ll talk at the table. I always do that. I’m not complaining. I’m very happy with the UFC as always, but I feel like people love me. With the belt or without the belt, they love me. I just want to keep on doing this for them. I keep hearing this, ‘She’s retired. She’s retired – this, that.’ I’m not retired, I’m just taking my time. I used to fight two or three times a year. No more. I want to take care of myself, my body, my mind.”
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Jedrzejczyk, 33, expects Weili will have to fight Rose Namajunas next, which is a close matchup in her eyes. After that, when she does return, Jedrzejczyk expects a UFC title shot – but she’s in no rush. Waiting for the right opportunity is fine by her.
“(There are) very (high odds I fight in 2021), but if not, I just sit and wait,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I don’t know. I want to, but everything has to be in the right spot – so many things.”
Take a look back at the most intense UFC staredowns of the last 12 months, featuring Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Zhang Weili and more.
When it comes to covering fight week, few moments get the blood pumping and the anticipation soaring better than a great faceoff. The UFC squares off their fighters before every event for exactly that reason, and some of the sport’s biggest stars have developed their own styles as they use their faceoff opportunities to strike a final mental blow ahead of fight night.
Over the course of 2020, and despite the social distancing rules applied across the globe, we were still treated to a host of memorable faceoffs. To kick off the year – and before COVID-19 arrived – we saw the likes of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] get up close and personal at the UFC 246 ceremonial weigh-ins in January, while [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] exchanged words in a tense staredown ahead of their memorable strawweight title clash at UFC 248 in March.
The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in March didn’t deprive us of some memorable faceoffs, however, with the fighters allowed to go nose to nose, with or without masks, after being subjected to multiple COVID-19 tests before and throughout fight week.
It meant we got to see debuting former KSW and EFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] go face-to-face with “The Joker,” aka [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag], ahead of UFC Fight Night 179 in October, while middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] enjoyed a pair of tense faceoffs as he locked eyes with rivals [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] ahead of his two successful title defenses in 2020.
Recap the best of the UFC’s 2020 faceoffs via the video above.
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 251’s most notable fighters.
Those fighters include [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) who fell short of the welterweight title in a unanimous decision loss to Kamaru Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) in the main event at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, as well as former champs [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC), [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC), and, lastly, [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC).
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Paige VanZant
Should fight: No one in the UFC Why:The writing has been on the wall for some time regarding VanZant’s UFC departure and it now seems imminent after finishing her contract on a quick submission loss to Amanda Ribas.
If VanZant had put on a performance that that was more competitive, perhaps the UFC would give her the money she clearly wants. It didn’t happen, though, and the long-lasting rumor has been that she’ll join her husband Austin Vanderford on the Bellator roster. Given that promotion’s ability to be more flexible with matchmaking, that seems like a better fit for VanZant at this point, anyway.
We’ve officially reached the halfway point of the 2020 calendar, which provides a good excuse to reflect on MMA’s best so far this year.
We’ve officially reached the halfway point of 2020, which provides a good excuse to reflect on what’s happened so far this year.
The MMA world certainly has been a unique ride to follow over the past six months. No sports has gone untouched by the coronavirus pandemic, but in comparison to others, this world has been able to move along quite successfully. Primarily the UFC, that is.
Although UFC events take the lions share of the attention under normal circumstances, it has been the only major show in town over the past several months. Neither Bellator, ONE Championship, PFL, Rizin FF, Cage Warriors, or Invicta FC have held an event since March.
The back half of the 2020 schedule looks to see the majority of those promotions return – along with the UFC putting on almost weekly events – so the months ahead could see plenty of memorable moments.
With that said, there’s no better time to look back at the best of the best so far in 2020 with a few mid-year awards on some major categories, issued with my judgment only.
Without further ado …
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Best male fighter: Gilbert Burns
(Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC)
This was probably the trickiest category to sort, mainly because of how infrequently athletes compete in MMA. Making a best fighter assessment six months into the year typically means we have one performance to go off of, and it’s entirely possible the overall 2020 “Fight of the Year” hasn’t even stepped in the cage so far. That’s how quickly things can change.
Although there are several fighters who have competed more than once this year, there’s only one who has registered wins and eye-popping performances both times. Curtis Blaydes got halfway there with two main event wins, but [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] was the man who brought it home. He scored a rare finish of Demian Maia in the form of a first-round knockout in March, then forced his way into a main event opportunity against former UFC champ Tyron Woodley in May simply by speaking out and staying prepared.
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Burns blanked Woodley on the scorecards, and in what seems like the snap of the fingers is now less than two weeks from challenging Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at UFC 251. No one – and I mean no one – claimed at the start of the year that Burns would be fighting for a belt, in the main event of the most stacked main card we’ve seen in 2020, just over six months into the year. It’s been a crazy rise, and he deserves the recognition for it.
Honorable mention: Justin Gaethje
Best female fighter: Zhang Weili
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)
Given the lack of female fighters and weight classes compared to the men’s side, the standards change a little bit here from what was described for the male version of this category. Angela Hill would have a compelling case if she got the decision win over Claudia Gadelha to be the only one to go 3-0 so far this year, but that didn’t happen, so technically she experienced a loss.
That leaves UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] as the only true option. Her only win of the year came in style against [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] at UFC 248 in March in what’s essentially been universally dubbed as the fight in women’s MMA history. It was a blood-and-guts performance from Zhang against the most decorated champion the division has ever seen, and that counts for a whole lot.
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Yes, fellow women’s champions Valentina Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes earned far more lopsided defenses against Katlyn Chookagian and Felicia Spencer, respectively, but neither of those challengers is as credentialed or decorated as Jedrzejczyk. Because of that, the value of Weili’s win skyrockets.
It might take another defense for Weili to lock up the year-end award, but to this point she’s defended her belt in arguably the most talked about fight – male or female – we’ve seen since Jan. 1.
Honorable mention: Valentina Shevchenko
Best fight: Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248
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Weili doubles up courtesy of her win over Jedrzejczyk. That fight on March 7 in Las Vegas was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen from the cageside position, and it was truly special.
I’m not going to exhaust every detail of the action in Weili’s unanimous decision win over Jedrzejczyk, because I couldn’t do it justice. If you haven’t seen it already, correct yourself immediately. It’s on UFC Fight Pass, it’s on ESPN+ – it’s somewhere on the internet. Go find it and embrace the brutality.
There’s been some other memorable affairs so far this year. Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker and Josh Emmett vs. Shane Burgos offered similar thrilling exchanges and grotesque moments (though nothing matches Jedrzejczyk’s hematoma), but what wasn’t there were the championship stakes.
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Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk would’ve been a wild fight under any circumstances, but the drama was further heightened by the fact only one side could walk away with the title. It came down to the wire, too, and no one knew the winner for certain when the decision was being read.
It had all the ingredients you need and more, and if two people are able to produce a better fight over the next six months, then God help those poor souls.
Honorable mention: Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN 12
Best submission: Aljamain Sterling vs. Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250
(Photo by Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC)
I don’t feel particularly strongly about this category, if we’re being honest. Mainly because it’s quite open to interpretation with no obvious choice. You could go with Maurice Greene’s arm-triangle choke from bottom over Gian Villante at UFC on ESPN 12 purely for the weirdness (I’m still trying to figure how Villante tapped to that), but that was not some Bryce Mitchell Twister finish where the level of opponent doesn’t quite matter.
Again, my preference is to side with stakes when deciding these categories, and although it ended with the most common submission technique in the sport, a rear-naked choke, I still have to give it up to the man [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] for absolutely washing Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250.
There were a good number of people picking Sandhagen to win the matchup that UFC president Dana White dubbed as a No. 1 contender fight at bantamweight. Even if Sterling was going to win, most experts would’ve agreed it wouldn’t be an 88-second wipeout. No one had ever handled Sandhagen like Sterling did when he quickly established back position and finished the fight, and for that he deserves some praise.
Honorable mention: Diego Ferreira def. Anthony Pettis at UFC 246
Best knockout: Cody Garbrandt vs. Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250
[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] nearly sent Raphael Assuncao’s head into the bleachers and his body through the octagon canvas with a sick knockout at UFC 250. Some (looking at you, Sean O’Malley) have labeled it sloppy and lacking technique, but we know that’s not not what it’s really all about in MMA.
Knockouts from punches happen all the time. It’s the most routine way fights are finished when striking, but Garbrandt didn’t only separate Assuncao from consciousness, he did it with one of the cooler looking right-hand setups we’ve seen in a while.
Just before the second-round horn, Garbrandt threw a feint that got a reaction out of Assuncao. He dipped away then loaded up on the same punch from another hemisphere then planted it right on Assuncao’s chin. The visual was pretty outstanding.
Add in the backdrop to the fight, and Garbrandt has to triumph in this category. The former UFC bantamweight champ came in on a three-fight skid with everyone claiming he was done, despite being only 28. Assuncao is one of the most historically difficult opponents to finish at 135 pounds, and as nearly two rounds were completed, it seemed “No Love” might need the full 15 minutes.
Then Garbrandt dropped the hammer, and all of a sudden he was a bantamweight contender again. I’d call that a pretty critical knockout from all perspectives.
Honorable mention: Francis Ngannou def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249
“If you think about the best fights when people say that, it’s always a lack of defense, people that are getting hit a lot. To me, that’s not the best fight ever.”
Unlike most people, [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] is the frontrunner for “Fight of the Year.”
Weili and Jedrzejczyk engaged in a brutal back-and-forth battle at UFC 248 in March, which left Jedrzejczyk with a massive hematoma on her forehead, as both women stood in the middle of the octagon and traded for 25 minutes. Weili retained her title in a narrow decision, but she had to dig deep, with Jedrzejczyk taking her to the brink.
While Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) acknowledges that both women showed incredible toughness, she disagrees with the criteria of what defines a great fight.
She thinks a spectacular fight should consist of more technique and movement, rather than both fighters slugging it out and taking so much damage.
“It was a great fight and both of them are some savages for sure,” Namajunas told ESPN. “However, the only gripe that I have about it being like the best fight ever or whatever is that people always say that, and I don’t think that’s a good thing.
“I don’t think it’s a good thing to have the best fight ever based on how people look at the best fights ever. If you think about the best fights when people say that, it’s always a lack of defense, people that are getting hit a lot. To me, that’s not the best fight ever.”
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In 2017, Namajunas shocked the world by dethroning Jedrzejczyk with a first-round knockout at UFC 217 to capture the strawweight title.
She emerged with the belt int the rematch a few months later, using her slick movement and striking to outpoint her over the course of five rounds at UFC 223.
“If you look at my second fight with Joanna – because that went all five rounds – my head movement was (slick),” Namajunas said. “I mean, I got a little bit of a busted lip, a little scratch here and there, but that was mostly from me slipping the punches like perfectly out of the way. So to me, it was an awesome display of heart and I was truly impressed with both of them, but at the same time only so much. It wasn’t the best fight ever. I look at fights differently than most the fans do.”
One recent fight that Namajunas did really enjoy, was the UFC on ESPN 11 co-main event between Josh Emmett and Shane Burgos, which took at the Apex Center in Las Vegas this past month.
Emmett edged out Burgos in a throughly entertaining bout, rallying late to pull away with the decision. Both men were awarded the “Fight of the Night” honor in a high-octane contest where Emmett used his power to drop Burgos, who never stopped pressing forward, on numerous occasions.
“You know what was the greatest fight ever recently was Josh Emmett vs. Shane Burgos,” Namajunas said. “That was a beautiful display of like both two different styles – to me, that was the ‘Fight of the Year.'”
