Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4, five finishes) came up just limited of regaining the UFC strawweight title in an all-time traditional against Zhang Weili (21-3, 17 finishes) in March 2020, just just before the global pandemic took keep. Extra than two several years later, she’s established to return for a three-round rematch versus Zhang on the UFC 275 spend-for each-check out principal card Saturday (10 p.m., ESPN+) at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, with the winner, according to UFC president Dana White, earning a shot at winner Carla Esparza. Jedrzejczyk spoke this week by means of Zoom with The Post’s Scott Fontana for some Q&A in the Put up Struggle Job interview.
Q: How have the earlier two a long time been for you without the need of competitors?
A: In fact, [it has] been great. I’m dwelling my most effective life, and I was usually like this. With the revenue, without the revenue, when I was a very little woman or when I was teen, I was always total of existence and pretty grateful for each and every one day. So undoubtedly, it was my time to capture the stability amongst the sporting activities life and the achievement I experienced I approached, and not only the sports activities accomplishment but also the personnel and media good results. I graduated [from] unique reports. I introduced my health supplement corporation. I did my racing debut. I began playing tennis and piano. So, it’s been wonderful, but I hardly ever forgot about coaching — that’s the most crucial matter — and receiving improved, discovering.
Q: You said that you desired not to fight with out admirers current during the pandemic. Were there other factors you took these an prolonged crack?
A: It was a single of the explanations I have not fought because there were no admirers at the arena but also simply because I was tremendous active. I have been executing martial arts for the previous 19 years. … I’ve been competing for a even though, and I just wanted this crack out of levels of competition. Of training course, I was renegotiating my contract. I was ready for the top rated-rated strawweight fighters, how the fights went. … I really do not need to have [an] easy fight. I want large fights only.
Q: Your very last battle was an all-time common versus Zhang.
A: You know, some individuals [are] possessing [a] problem with this. They just can't comprehend why I will be [the] up coming challenger battling for the strawweight belt. But folks really do not get it. They are like, “Oh, she has not fought for awhile” but some people today really do not know that I’m merely the greatest. I don’t require to confirm it just one far more time that I’m just one of the best.
Q: So it does not issue where fighters these types of as Marina Rodriguez or Jessica Andrade are this fight justifies to be the leading contender battle for the belt?
A: Of class, and I know that I will get the title shot, me or Zhang Weili. This is what Dana White has reported. … I always set on a hell of a battle. That’s the rationale. Seem at Rose [Namajunas’] final combat. Now, seem at mine and Rose’s struggle. Search at Andrade and somebody’s combat appear at mine and Andrade’s battle. That is the cause I’m at the leading, even devoid of battling for two decades.
Q: How a great deal did that combat take out of you mentally and bodily at the time? Or was it seriously just a further aggressive battle to you?
A: This battle gave me extra assurance, bodily, mentally. It did not acquire just about anything from me. Perhaps from Weili. I never know. We will find out on Saturday, but not from me. Undoubtedly not. I would not be again. I really don't want extra income, I [don’t] require extra publicity. I [don’t] will need this and that. I’m accomplishing this for myself, my staff, for the reason that I sense that I want to do it. And it is a ideal feeling to be in the place of your existence exactly where you do not have to do just about anything. You do items you want to do and issues you genuinely really feel like you want to do. That’s the factor. It’s lovely.
Q: You and Namajunas have been intrigued in performing with each other forward of this struggle. Did anything appear of that once you two connected?
A: It was type of strange. Humorous. It’s incredibly nice that Pat Barry arrived at out to me. His message went to my spam on Instagram to my DM, but Rose’s supervisor attained out to [American Top Team coach] Mikey Brown to get my selection. I was actually shocked. But it only exhibits how stunning is this sport and that this sport is all about relationships, and this activity is all about individuals interacting with them, encouraging each individual other, even if we go and we defeat the hell out of every single other in every single fight and there is from time to time undesirable blood in between us. … It was quite wonderful of Rose, but I was truly as well deep in the camp to improve my sparring associates. But I’m wanting ahead to instruction with Rose in the long run. I never know what the potential holds for me and her. but let’s see. Let us come across out after this fight. But it was incredibly nice of her and Pat Barry, and I acquired so quite a few good messages, like warm, variety and the enjoy. I didn’t know they truly like me and they someway adore me, and I’m sending the exact same love to them as well.
Q: Is there any bad blood with Zhang?
A: It is a organization. The difficult function is carried out so lots of weeks prior to, and we’re making ready for this a single evening to be as entertaining as we can be. There’s no poor blood. We abide by each other on social media. At times, we go back again and forth, like in the nice way. Now we [are] combating, so we are rivals all over again. And, no, we [are] excellent. The superior matter is that we each are super rough, bodily, mentally. We are really properly-rounded, adorned and dedicated fighters. We carry not only women’s MMA but MMA in basic to the bigger amount, and this is what I really like about [it]. In this combat, I want to be like a surgeon, pick the right moves, select the proper instruments and use them in the appropriate time and right instant.
Q: Common walkaround bodyweight involving fights?
A: In all probability like 135 [pounds], but I feel so healthy. And I see my human body altered, so I might be even bigger, but I sense I look lighter since I eat very healthier. I employed to have very negative dieticians. I altered them [a] handful of instances, but they messed [up] my organs, my hormones, all the things. Ideal now, I’m not taking in as quite a few sweets as I employed to. I eat extremely healthy, and I really feel terrific. And it is also since of my physiotherapist, who compelled me to do extra strength conditioning. … I have to have to thank [Clint Wattenberg] from [the] UFC Performance Institute. I’m pretty blessed, pretty thankful, extremely grateful that we have this Institute, so huge shout out to the UFC and the full crew. Clint is not in this article nowadays, but his people are right here to us and the other persons. They are accomplishing an amazing work. I just about died in advance of the struggle with Rose Namajunas at Madison Square Backyard garden. It has been my third struggle functioning with Clint, and I hardly ever felt far better. Correct now, my weight is tremendous lower. It’s 124 nowadays, so it’s so straightforward. It’s so uncomplicated, and I experience strong. I’m nevertheless having, and definitely these men are wonderful, extremely sensible. extremely focused.
Q: What do you hope to weigh on Saturday?
A: I never want to set too considerably excess weight on. I don’t want to be far too hefty. I need to have to be quick.
Q: Favourite movie?
A: “Man on Fireplace.”
Q: Favorite out of doors activity?
A: Rollerblading. Adore it.
Q: Most loved movie recreation?
A: I utilised to engage in “CounterStrike” back in the working day with my brother-in-legislation. … What is amusing, a 12 months ago we bought tremendous fantastic desktops to participate in “CounterStrike” all over again but, of program, we never have time. We just launched our business together, my lab health supplements firm, so we totally don’t have time. He has a new child toddler. So. no. I have the Nintendo Swap, and I vacation with it. Last time, I acquired “Crash [Bandicoot],” but I have not played it.
Q: What’s a perfect working day for you that does not require preventing?
A: Wake up, sunny working day, warm, spring or summer time in my household in Poland and heading down, brewing espresso, feeling the [fragrance] of the espresso and heading to my winter season garden outdoors and currently being grateful and grateful for a different working day that I can be alive and I can enjoy it. And it is all up to me how the day will go. And then have my most loved homemade granola — for the reason that I want to have my coffee shop in the long term — just do some activity and keep with my spouse and children due to the fact we never know how a great deal time we have remaining.
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