Joanna Jędrzejczyk
DOB: August 18,1987
Birthplace: Olsztyn, Poland
Nickname: Joanna Champion
Gym: American Top Team
Style: Muay Thai
Weight Division: Strawweight(MMA), Flyweight(MMA), Featherweight(Kickboxing), Super Bantamweight(Kickboxing)
MMA Record: 16-4
Kickboxing Record: 27-3
Championships: 1x UFC Strawweight Champion, 5x world Muay Thai Champion, 5x European Muay Thai Champion
Joanna Jędrzejczyk is the former UFC strawweight champions and current ranked the #2 strawweight in the UFC. She was the first ever women’s strawweight title, first Polish UFC champion, and holds the record for most title reigns at 5.
Joanna’s beginnings in martial arts
Joanna first discovered Muay Thai kickboxing when she was 16. At first she started training just for fitness, but showed to have a gift for the sport. Eventually she decided to start competing competitively and grew a new found passion.
Jędrzejczyk Muay Thai career
As an amateur in Muay Thai, Joanna racked up an impressive record of 37-3. Winning numerous amateur titles throughout Europe before going pro.
During her 10 year professional kickboxing career, Joanna would continue to impress going 27-3 winning more world championships. Since she accomplished just about everything in Muay Thai, Joanna set her sights on another style of fighting. MMA.
Joanna dominates the strawweight division
In 2014, the UFC created the women’s strawweight division(115lbs/52kgs) and were looking for new talent. Of course, being 6-0 and a former Muay Thai world champion made Joanna an easy choice for the newest UFC division.
She would make her UFC debut on a UFC on Fox card against Juliana Lima. Easily winning a decision in a fight, where she again dominated the striking.
Her next bout would be a title eliminator against Claudia Gadelha for the inaugural UFC strawweight title. Joanna would go on to win a highly contested split decision to meet Carla Esparza for the title.
In the title fight, she put her Muay Thai skills on full display barraging Esparza with punches and kicks. Leading to a 2nd round TKO and winning the first women’s strawweight title in UFC history.
Joanna’s Title Reign
Joanna would go on to defend her title an astounding 5 times without losing a single round. Record that still stands today
At 14-0 she looked nearly unbeatable and began calling herself “the Boogeywoman of the division.”
Joanna Loses The Title
At UFC 217, Joanna faced challenger Rose Namajunas. A fight where she was the heavy favorite and picked to win by many experts to win.
Rose surprised everyone by taking the fight to Joanna and dethroning the queen of the strawweights. Winning by TKO in the first round.
Disappointed, but not discouraged, Joanna would get an immediate rematch against Rose. Unfortunately coming up short again.
Joanna’s road back to the title
After suffering back to back losses, Joanna was on a path to try and get her title back. Beating Tecia Torres and then facing her nemesis in Muay Thai Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight for that title.
She would come up short again in that match and move back to strawweight, where she would beat Michelle Waterson.
With that win, she made her way back to the title picture to face champion Zhang Weili. They would have a FOTY candidate bout that was a controversial split decision for Weili.
