UFC 248: Joanna Jedrzejczyk is ‘one of the baddest’ says Dana White – ‘she comes to fight’

Former champion plays her part in one of greatest fights in history, battling on despite massive hematoma on forehead

‘We’re incredibly lucky to have her, she’s an amazing human being,’ says UFC president White

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Joanna Jedrzejczyk at the end of her split decision loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 248. Photos: AFP

Published: 2:27pm, 9 Mar 2020Updated: 4:14pm, 9 Mar 2020

Joanna Jedrzejczyk might have been beaten almost beyond recognition by Zhang Weili in their UFC strawweight classic on Saturday night but the Polish fighter has emerged from the battle with her reputation as a warrior intact.

“Joanna, she comes to fight,” UFC boss Dana White said at the post-fight press conference. “She’s incredibly talented. She comes to win, to hurt you, to bust you up and she’s one of the baddest to ever do it.”

The bout had ended in a split decision to the 30-year-old Chinese champion after 25 minutes of mayhem. Jedrzejczyk’s reputation – as a former strawweight champ, with five title defences and membership in the sport’s hall of fame already assured – has been built on her ability to mess her opponents up inside the cage, after trying to mess with their minds beforehand.

The 32-year-old threw 186 strikes at Zhang, who countered with 165 of her own, leaning mostly on her huge right hand to do the damage. To put that intensity into some kind of perspective, the last time Jedrzejczyk was in a five-round title fight she threw 78 to Valentina Shevchenko’s 89 in losing their flyweight title clash.

The effects of all that action were evident post-fight, with a massive hematoma distorting Jedrzejczyk’s features while Zhang’s face was red and raw. The good news on Sunday that both had left hospital after overnight observation and had been given the all-clear by medical staff.

Jedrzejczyk had tried to get under Zhang’s skin during pre-fight events but in the aftermath of their battle the Chinese champ was quick to pay her respects to a fighter who had pushed her to the limits of endurance.