When Joanna Jedrzejczyk decides to return to the Octagon after her 14 months and counting hiatus, don’t expect her to be in title eliminator fights against rising talents like MacKenzie Dern or Marina Rodriguez. Two women in the top-six with open dance cards.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk only interested in ‘big things’ in future fights
Don’t take the former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight queen’s disinterest the wrong way. She has a great deal of respect for the fifth and sixth-ranked fighters in the division. However, as one of the best 115-pound fighters to ever do it, and the second-ranked strawweight in the world, she feels a championship trilogy fight with new division queen Rose Namajunas, or a rematch with former champ Zhang Weili is what she deserves.
“I don’t want to sound disrespectful. I love MacKenzie Dern. She’s a [Brazilian jiu-jitsu] legend. She’s great. She has a few wins straight, and the same for Rodriguez,” Jedrzejczyk told MixedMartialArts.com.
“Same as in business, you’re focused on things and people who can help you become better. Where you can become more successful. Winning, getting more money; there’s so many things behind [booking a next oppnent]. I don’t know, I’m focused on the best. I’m ranked number two, right behind Weili Zhang who’s number one. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe I’ll face MacKenzie Dern [or] maybe Rodriguez.”
Joanna Jedrzejczyk on facing lower-ranked opponents: ‘They need me more than I need them’
The 33-year-old sees a bout with her as a golden ticket to fame for fighters ranked below her. There is so much to gain and little to lose for upstarts looking to score a career-defining moment against the Polish star. Yet, from her perspective, there isn’t much to gain in matchups outside the champion or strawweight’s top contender.
“It’s not only about motivation, but what I can get from it. I can open the door for the fighters who are lower in the ranking. That’s why they are all calling me out because they want to fight me,” Jedrzejczyk says. “I also want to fight the best. If they win, they’re good. They beat one of the greatest. But if they lose nothing happens. ‘I faced Joanna, one of the greatest’ [they’ll say]. I don’t need that.”
“They need me more than I need them. Again, no disrespecting [and] taking anything away. This sport is growing [and] these girls are tough as nails. The female divisions are just getting stronger and stronger.”
As much as her next step into the Octagon is about inching closer to regaining her strawweight thrown, returning to action also means putting her health on the line. And Jedrzejczykwould prefer her twenty-first fight camp to be a painful juice that is worth the squeeze.
“I don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Okay, I lost my last fight, but I proved that I am one of the greatest. That I deserve all the best things; only the champ or number one in the ranking. I don’t have to be focused on smaller things. Of course, I don’t want to take anything from anybody lower in the strawweight ranking. But I’m focused on big things.”
“I was considering taking another fight with Rose or Weili Zhang, but I don’t know how to go 50%. I always go 100%. I always give everything I have, physically and mentally. Every camp costs me lots of energy, health, and everything. So if I put my health on the line I want to do big things.”
The full exclusive conversation with the strawweight great can be found below.
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