Issue 189

March 2020

One of MMA's most durable figures gets a chance to regain her belt this month. It's the return of the Jedrzejczyk!

In an issue celebrating women in MMA, it would be remiss not to feature a woman who has been fighting at an elite level in combat sports for over a decade. March 7 will see Joanna Jedrzejczyk, now 32, back in the Octagon to challenge UFC champion Weili Zhang for the strawweight title. Pictured here is the moment from March 2015 when she first claimed the belt by stopping Carla Esparza in the second round of their contest in Dallas. The Pole went on to defend her title an impressive five times over the best part of three years before running into Rose Namajunas at UFC 217. As the female side of the sport has grown, Jedrzejczyk, who forged a career in kickboxing prior to her move into MMA, has been at the forefront of its development, featuring to date in five pay-per-view cards. She will start as underdog against Zhang, but she should never be underestimated.