Joanna Jedrzejczyk was in the best fight of 2020 against Weili Zhang. However, that Strawweight Title match went poorly for Joanna, who lost the hotly-contested fight via decision. She hasn’t stepped back into the cage all year and does not have an opponent for her next fight.
JJ spoke about her struggles fighting in the Strawweight division while reaffirming that she will make her return in the division while speaking to MyMMANews.
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“It’s not easy to make 115 for me. I have to struggle myself for 2-3 months while preparing for fights. But it’s not easy, but it’s a part of my job. I have been working with Clint from the UFC Performance Center, and he is a master. It’s not easy but it’s easier. Every weight cut has an impact on me, my body, my brain. I am a woman, I want to have kids someday and I have to be careful with it. But I wanna fight in the Strawweight division.”
Jedrzejczyk did move up to Flyweight but was beaten by Valentina Shevchenko in a title bout. Many presumed she will return to the division if she didn’t get to rematch Zhang, which seems to be the case as Rose Namajunas will be the next challenger.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk: Should she stay at Strawweight?
There is no apparent reason for her to leave the division, but if the weight cut is hard on her, maybe she should look into it. She seems headstrong and ready to take on the challenge that comes with being in this division.
We will not see Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight as often as she did during her peak as a champion. She has gone 2-4 in her last six fights, which is a worrying trend for the former champion.
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Her fight with Zhang proved she has a lot to offer still, so it makes sense for her to try to fight in this division. However, it seems she will wait and see what happens with Zhang’s potential next booking against Thug Rose.