Throughout most of 2017, Joanna Jedrzejczyk was arguably the best straw weight in the world.
Five title defenses and wins and several fight of the night accolades.
However, at UFC 217, Joanna’s world came crashing down when she was knocked out by Rose Namajunas. For many, this was a shocking win (in a night filled with upsets) as this was Jedrzejczyk’s first loss of her professional career. Now, the two are set to have a rematch at UFC 223.
Jedrzejczyk says she is going to bounce back stronger than ever to prove that failure isn’t the end.
“We all can fall,” Jedrzejczyk told MMANytt. “This is what I’m going to do, I’m going to dedicate this fight to people who fell and they don’t have the power to raise up, but I will show to them that it’s worth it. I will raise up. I raised already, so I will show the people that it’s worth it. It’s worth it to stand up and fight.”
Afterwards, Jedrzejczyk revealed serious issues with her weight cut heading into the bout that played a role in her performance. Jedrzejczyk has, according to her, corrected those issues heading into their rematch.
And while she takes nothing away from Namajunas’ performance, Jedrzejczyk declares that “Thug Rose” won a battle, but not the war.
“I have so much respect for Rose Namajunas, same as I had before the first fight,” said Jedrzejczyk. “I didn’t disrespect her. ... The thing is, everyone can win [a] short fight, quick fight. Of course, she did it perfect. She punched me, she was so precise and she had enough power that night to knock me out. But, like I said, I was not a competitor that night. I went through so many wars, and maybe she won a battle, but she’s not going to win a war. I’m going to win on April 7.”