Joanna Jedrzejczyk has her sights firmly set on reclaiming the UFC strawweight belt that she held for over two years. After putting on a striking masterclass against Carla Ezparza to win the 115-pound title at UFC 185 in March 2015, Jedrzejczyk successfully defended her title five times, with wins over the likes of Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Andrade.
At UFC 217, the Pole was dethroned, suffering her first professional MMA loss in the process when Rose Namajunas knocked her out in the first round. Now with a rematch between the two set for UFC 223 on April 7th, Jedrzejczyk spoke to Polsat Sport about her upcoming fight.
“The preparations took place very often, but I am very focused. I devote every free moment to regeneration, proper nutrition and training. I know that in sports, I win and lose, and I know that my last fight did not go my way, because people from my team failed me.”
Following her loss to Namajunas, Jedrzejczyk expressed her frustration towards her nutrition team, Perfecting Athletes, who she felt had a big part to play in her defeat.
“Many people asked me if I change coaches, club … My answer was ‘no’ because my coaches did their best to be in the best possible shape. The doctor, who had a big impact on how I felt 30 hours before the fight, failed. People who are not in sports, in which you need to watch this weight, do not know what it’s eating. It often has negative effects on our health and even life. I am asking for patience, just like I have to wait for the day when I will receive a straw weight belt.”
UFC 223 takes place on April 7th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The card will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Namajunas vs Jedrzejczyk 2 will serve as the event’s co-main event.
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