The rematch is on.
Former UFC Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk was knocked out in the first round by “Thug” Rose Namajunas at UFC 217. The lost was the first of Joanna’s professional career, and sent her tumbling into the line of contenders against whom she had defended the belt for two years.
The biggest question in the wake of the fight was: Would Joanna be fortunate enough to be granted an immediate rematch? Many believe that a first round blowout does not warrant such a rematch, but according to Joanna, she was given the green light by the UFC.
The Polish striker told InTheCagePL (translated from Polish byFloCombat),
“I know what I want in life. Just like I’ve done for the last two years, the last 14 years of my career, it will be the same next year,” “I back up my words — I don’t just talk. I already spoke to the UFC, and my return is set. My next fight will be for the title belt. I don’t know if Rose is going to want to fight in a month, in January or in February. I’ll spend the next two months in Poland with my family.”
“I have a lot of media obligations, [and] I’ll be flying out to China in a few days and that’s that,” she added. “This is my time away, my rest. Like I said, if Rose wants to fight in February or March with the first contender available, it doesn’t matter to me if she’ll be wearing the belt or if there will be a new champion. I’m going after what’s mine and that’s the belt.”
Jedrzejczyk also adamantly opposed the proposition of a tune-up fight,
“I don’t need to have a fight to get ready. It’s not like I wasn’t prepared for that fight. I don’t have any reproach for myself because of it,” she said. “I know it looks different from the outside and a loss is a loss. If you weren’t standing there in the Octagon, if you didn’t feel that day and if you didn’t feel that loss, why it ended the way it did… People just don’t know.”
“Rose was very shocked, like the rest of the world. Like I’ve said, she won in a beautiful fashion, but the belt is mine. I’ve built this weight class. I’m the queen of this weight class and I always will be. You can believe it or not.”
