Archives: Jędrzejczyk: If A Women’s FW Division Opens, I’ll Join (2017)

In this installment of The MMA News Archives, we go back in time to Joanna Jędrzejczyk setting the goal of becoming a UFC flyweight.

For much of her storied UFC career, Joanna Jędrzejczyk has been known as the “strawweight queen.” And that is a throne and moniker that she is working towards reclaiming, starting with her big fight tonight against Zhang Weili at UFC 275.

But as it happens, Jędrzejczyk always wanted the UFC to open up a flyweight division. In fact, right before she lost the title to Rose Namajunas in November 2017, she was planning on going up to attempt becoming a double champion.

Jędrzejczyk would eventually have her opportunity to win the flyweight title when she fought Valentina Shevchenko for the vacant title at UFC 231, but Jędrzejczyk lost via unanimous decision.

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Joanna Jędrzejczyk hasn’t spoken about the flyweight division as of late. All of her attention is on defeating Zhang at UFC 275 tonight in what Dana White has confirmed to being a #1 contender’s bout. If she were to achieve that, she would be next in line for current champion Carla Esparza, whom Jędrzejczyk defeated to win the strawweight title back in 2015.

If Jędrzejczyk does ultimately reclaim the strawweight title, perhaps she’ll revisit the plans she laid out in the article below and take another crack at the flyweight title.

The following story is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 7, 2017, 12:35 PM]

Headline: Joanna Jędrzejczyk: ‘If The UFC Opens Up The Women’s Flyweight Division, I Will Go Up’

Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is hoping to have another successful year in 2017.

The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight title holder is in the United States set to prepare with American Top Team for her next bout. Her likely opponent is Jessica Andrade, who defeated Invicta FC 115-pound champion Angela Hill.

Much has been made about a potential women’s flyweight division being introduced in the UFC. While nothing has been made official, many fighters and analysts have been calling for the division to come to fruition.

The general feeling is that there is more talent to beef up that weight class as opposed to the women’s featherweight division. That class was originally meant for Cris Cyborg, but with her situation with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, she could be out of action for a year.

UFC’s inaugural women’s 145-pound title match-up will take place this Saturday night (Feb. 11) at UFC 208. Holly Holm will face Germaine de Randamie. Outside of that bout, the division is left in limbo.

Jedrzejczyk recently told Flo Combat that she would welcome the 125-pound division. Despite having unfinished business at 115 pounds, the Polish champion is confident she can make a run at 125 pounds.

“Sure, if they open the 125 [pound] division I will go up. I want to keep on fighting in 115 and 125 because like I said, with Perfecting Athletes I know I can do this and stay healthy. Definitely I would like to do this, but I have very big plans for this year in the 115 [pound] division. I want to fight somewhere in April or May, then maybe summertime, and then at the end of the year in Madison Square Garden again.”

Jedrzejczyk has been on a tear. At a perfect 13-0 with five finishes, the champion has yet to be solved. She won the strawweight title back in March 2015 and has already made four successful title defenses. Her last win was, for the most part, dominant. She defeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision.

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