JOANNA JEDRZEJCZYK Strawweight Queen
How much of it is truth and how much is delusion? That niggling question at the back of your head when a fighter suffers a loss. Which is often quickly followed by the reason why, which doesn’t involve the quality of their opposition. When Joanna Jedrzejczyk lost her strawweight title to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217. She was quick to point out that what we saw inside the cage that faithful night, was not the real Joanna champion.
Many will be familiar with Joanna’s previous shocking weight cut issues from back in 2015. When we were privy to seeing what a tremendous toll a bad weight cut took on the defending champ. But that was 2015, and her team have had over two and a half years in which to adjust her diet and weight cut accordingly. So what exactly went wrong?
To go from quite a disturbing situation, whereas the direct result of a bad weight cut, she claimed to have been in a critical condition. To losing her title two and a half years later and once again blaming similar circumstances?
It’s hard to fathom how her team could ever allow that to happen again. But, we will probably never quite know how much is the truth and how much wishful thinking. As now we once again find ourselves back where we were in November 2017. As JJ will once again fight for the strawweight title, but now as the challenger.
Facing Rose for A Second Time
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is staking what she believes is her rightful claim to the belt. Which was so decisively ripped from her grasp by a fighter who not too many were giving a chance. So enamoured were fanned by Joanna’s dominance inside the cage and ultra confidence outside, a loss seemed unthinkable! Yet, here we are.
After throwing everything she had at Namajunas in their first pre-fight buildup. Can she overcome the demons and take back what she believes is rightfully hers? Will she prove that the result in their first fight was a one-off. And that right here, right now, the real Joanna Champion is back at her best?
There can be little doubting her capabilities inside the cage. But as we have seen many times before, sometimes, that someone comes along, who just has your number. Only JJ can prove otherwise as she looks to reconquer the strawweight division and exact her revenge.
It’s a fascinating matchup as we look to find out if lady luck has been playing games. And with another roll of the dice, who will make that devastating final move.
Images courtesy of sports.yahoo.com & dailymotion.com
