Felice Herrig is back, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s going to stick around for long.
The strawweight veteran returns to MMA competition Saturday at UFC Fight Night 207 in Las Vegas, where she takes on former UFC title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a rematch. The bout marks Herrig’s first fight since August 2020 as the 37-year-old has been out of action because of a botched knee surgery that required a second procedure.
Now healthy, Herrig (14-9 MMA, 5-4 UFC) is excited to make a comeback, and she’s trying to ignore any pressure that may deter her performance.
“It’s on the back burner. It’s not really a thought in my mind,” Herrig told Yahoo! Sports regarding her three-fight losing skid. “I feel like – so fighting desperate is not good. I feel like I’m happy now, which is great. I feel like I’m more confident. I’m more positive. I feel like my training is better. I feel like I’m healthier. I’m stronger than ever.
“And I’ve honestly, I’ve ticked all the boxes of every single thing that I need to do to win this fight. And if I didn’t win the fight, I feel like it’s the universe saying that it’s time to close this chapter in your life.”
Felice Herrig left Karolina Kowalkiewicz hanging on the handshake attempt ahead of their rematch.
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Herrig is at peace with her preparation and is confident she can get the job done to avenge her 2018 split decision loss to Kowalkiewicz (12-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC). She wants to get back in the cage because it’s what she desires, but she no longer feels a need to compete.
“I really feel that I have done everything to win,” Herrig explained. “And if I don’t win, then something – there’s something else for me. Because I’ve been fighting for 20 years. So for me, I have nothing left to prove in this game.
“You know, if I go out like that, it’s like it’s whatever. But I don’t have that desperation anymore like I have to win. No, if I get cut from the UFC, I get cut from the UFC.
“I’m also a great boxer. You know, I can go, like, I could still fight if I wanted to. You know, other promotions would be willing to take me on if that’s what I chose to do. But I feel like everything comes down to my performance. If I perform the way I have been performing and training, I will win this fight.”