The first time Joanna Jedrzejczyk fought Zhang Weili, fight fans were treated to an all-time MMA classic. Jedrzejczyk lost that fight, and the strawweight belt, via split decision, and Weili went on to lose the belt to Rose Namajunas, failing to recapture it in the rematch. With both Joanna Jedrezejczyk and Zhang Weili now returning from a loss, the time is right for a rematch, and Joanna was philosophical when discussing their next clash with MMAMania.
Specifically, the fickle nature of fight fans who dismiss a fighter based on a sole loss. “People, for them it seems so easy but it’s not easy. There’s so many upcoming prospects but when they hit this top 5, top 3, there’s no prospect anymore. Only special people make it to the league and when you become the challenger, the contender for the UFC Strawweight belt especially, in every other organization, it means a lot, you know?
Jedrzejczyk on Zhang Rematch: “You don’t take second place“
Some of the people, they don’t win the belt but they put on a hell of a fight with the champions. They go back and forth and the decision is usually very often a split decision so they just prove they’re on this championship level. But sometimes you just don’t make it because you have to do a little bit more to beat the champ and I think Weili Zhang was meant to be the champ and that time when she won the belt from [Jessica] Andrade, she was the right person, the right spot, the right timing to do it.
And she did that. She’s still here at the top. Of course, we had a very close fight, she lost via knockout to Rose Namajunas, but the second fight was so close and she’s proving that she’s right there at the top.
That’s the craziest thing about this sport, you don’t take second place. You are the loser for so many people. But if you make it, and especially when you put on fights like me and Weili, me and Rose’s second fight, or Rose-Weili Zhang’s second fight, that’s a hell of a fight and that’s the saddest thing.”
Despite her career-defining performance in the last Weili fight, Joanna says that many still dismiss her based on the infamous post-fight photograph showing horrific damage to her face.
“When people look at my picture after my first fight with Weili Zhang without watching the fight, they’re like, ‘Again, you’re going to get your ass beat up.’
I’m like, ‘Dude, I think you’re missing something. Did you watch the fight?’ I notice very often they do not watch the fight and they don’t know much about the sport.
They see this loss in your record and they think you’re the loser. You are not the loser, especially in this sport. It’s such a difficult sport but I think Weili Zhang is right there at the top.” What’s your prediction for the rematch? Let us know in the comments.
