After equaling record, Joanna defends Ronda: 'One of the greatest in MMA'

Jedrzejczyk reached five title defenses, equaling Ronda. (Photo: Facebook/UFC)

By defeating Jessica Stacker at UFC 211, held last Saturday (13), in Dallas (USA), the strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk achieved a historic feat in the organization: he reached five belt defenses, equaling the number of Ronda Rousey, former bantamweight champion. Despite the achievement, the Polish woman maintains her modesty when asked whether she can now be placed on the same level as the North American star, and defended 'Rowdy'.

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"I know that Ronda Rousey He is one of the greatest athletes in MMA. For me and so many people, she is still the champion. I like her a lot and I can't compare myself to one of the greatest, a living legend. And I can't believe she was more focused on the movies, commercials and photo shoots than on training. I don’t believe that because she became an Olympic medalist at a very young age and knows what hard work means,” said Joanna, in an interview with the “MMA Junkie Radio” program.

Joanna also questioned the various criticisms made against Ronda, claiming that MMA is a very unpredictable sport, and everything can change overnight.

“I don’t think people should blame Ronda for losing the title. MMA is a beautiful sport, but anything can happen. A fight can end with a submission. It could have happened to me in my last fight or it could happen in my next fight. It's not easy to become a UFC champion, defend the title or become a rich and popular person. I hope to stay humble because this is hard to deal with. The work in the gym is the most important thing, because, at the end of the day, people want to see me in good shape during the fight, not on the cover of a magazine or in a commercial”, concluded the fighter.

Jedrzejczyk, 29, has been division champion since March 2015, when she knocked out Carla esparza and won the belt. Since then, he has made five title defenses, including a victory over the Brazilian Claudia gadelha, in July last year. She is undefeated in MMA, having won the 14 fights she has had, eight of them in Ultimate.

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