Joanna Jedrzejczyk: I'm going to stay champion for a long time
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is back home in Poland this weekend to watch Saturday's UFC Fight Night, and she appeared to enjoy her time participating in a question and answer session with fans Friday in Krakow. The new strawweight champion told fans she's particularly excited to watch 115-pound contenders Joanne Calderwood and Maryna Moroz fight on the main card.
"I'm happy that the UFC put some strawweight fights on [Saturday's] card," Jedrzejczyk said. "I'm happy because I can watch my future opponents.
"So now I must run away with my belt."
Last month, Jedrzejczyk upset then-champion Carla Esparza with a dominant second-round TKO win to become the first ever Polish world champion in MMA. Shocking as her title win in March was, Jedrzejczyk revealed that her December 2014 opponent Claudia Gadelha, whom she beat by split decision, is the better opponent.
"I think that Claudia, she's a better fighter than Esparza," Jedrzejczyk claimed.
"When I was in America, everyone was talking about Carla's wrestling, so I had it in my mind. But my wrestling is better than hers. You could see it in the fight."
At 5-foot-6, Jedrzejczyk is super lean at 115 pounds but told fans that she plans to stay at that weight. That said, she'd be open to moving to 125 pounds if the UFC decided to add a division there.
"I'm going to stay at 115," Jedrzejczyk said.
"In the future, if they're going to make a new division for 125, then I'm going to move and I'm going to be champion again. And then I will think about 135, but we will see."
Whoever she fights next, and no matter what weight it's at, expect the 27 year-old to go into it with confidence. The undefeated strawweight says her spirits are at an all-time high, and she's intent on staying champion for a long time.
"I don't feel pressure," she assured.
"I'm going to keep this belt. I'm so confident. I'm going to train hard and I'm just going to keep this belt for a long time."
