W. Zhang (photo) does not accept J. Jędrzejczyk's challenge. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @ufc
Former strawweight champion (up to 52,1kg.) Joanna Jędrzejczk gave her fans what they wanted to see. Last weekend, the athlete hit Michelle Waterson in a dominant performance in the main event of the UFC Tampa, where she won the unanimous decision of the judges. Joanna's performance, however, does not seem to have caught the attention of Weili Zhang, current holder of the category title, who rejected the challenge made by the Polish woman still in the Octagon. The statement was made in an interview with 'TMZ Sports'.
See too
“I don’t think she’s the fighter she used to be. She's not in the condition she used to be. I’m not very interested”, said the champion.
Since losing the title in a fight against Rose namajunas, in 2017, Jędrzejczk has insistently reaffirmed his desire to regain his belt. The athlete, however, had a hard time in the company, after being defeated by Rose herself in a rematch the following year and lost to Valentina Shevchenko when trying to move up to the flyweight division (up to 56,7kg) and trying to win the vacant belt in the category.
After three defeats in the last four appearances, the qualities of Joanna, who is currently 32 years old, began to be challenged by some fans of the sport. Even though the athlete guarantees that she is still capable of performing at a high level, she needed proof that she was back.
Against Waterson, Jędrzejczk used the five rounds to show her superiority against a qualified opponent. There were few moments in which the North American put pressure on the Polish woman and even put the former champion's victory in question.
If there is one athlete, however, who can dispute Joanna's merits today, it is someone Weili Zhang. The fighter made history in August by beating the Brazilian Jessica Andrade and become the first Chinese woman to hold a UFC belt in history. At the time, the combatant took no notice of Bate-Estaca and delivered a brutal knockout to the Paraná native.
As champion, Zhang now has the luxury of choosing which opponent she will face in her next challenge. Apparently, the Pole will have to wait a while, as she is in fourth place in the division rankings.
Weili is 30 years old and has already performed 21 times as a professional in MMA. The athlete was defeated only once, when she made her debut in the sport. After that, she never felt the taste of defeat again.
Comments