Is Joanna Jedrzejczyk stealing the show?
Anthony Pettis is the heir apparent in mixed martial arts, but at UFC 185, Poland’s strawweight contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk is kind of stealing the show.
FIrst thing, pronunciation is something like Yo-anna-na Yen-jdzhay-chik.
Sometimes in cinema a supporting actor steals the movie – when you think of the film, it is not the leads that come to mind, but someone minor that for whatever reason pops.
Tom Cruise’s ranting studio head Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder stole the movie. Glengarry Glen Ross had Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, and Kevin Space but Alec Baldwin stole it.
“Third prize is you’re fired.”
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is kind of stealing the show at UFC 185, and she is doing it side by side with Anthony Pettis. Pettis is of course becoming the star that MMA has lacked since the retirement of GSP.
The list of stars who aren’t GSP and don’t pull his numbers is long:
Jon Jones – Not it, and we know why.
Jose Aldo – Not it, and we don’t know why. Conor McGregor is it with a win.
Demetrious Johnson – Too small.
Chris Weidman – Could be it, but too … normal.
Cain Velasquez – Too hurt.
Ronda Rousey – Biggest star in the UFC.
TJ Dillashaw – Too new.
Anderson Silva – Not it any more, and never was it in keeping with his skill.
Robbie Lawler – It for the hardcore fanbase.
So there is Jedrzejczyk, doing media duties side by side with the prince, Anthony Pettis, and somehow, the Pole is stealing the show.
At the weigh ins the cookie was extended, withdrawn suddenly and replaced with a handshake, then re offered, accepted, and described as being poison free. Then there was the ‘my precioussss’ stare down, which Jedrzejczyk was captured planning on Embedded. And that is what you walked away with.
A bemused Esparza said several times that no opponent ever offered her a cookie before, or got in her face like that before, or … When Esparza lifted the upraised finger gesture, Jedrzejczyk got irate – don’t copy my finger, jerk. Jedrzejczyk showed in overalls which raised Esparza’s eyebrows, but it was cool, it its way. And that’s what it’s all about.
The UFC has its first show in Poland next month. If Jedrzejczyk wins tonight, expect her to bring down the house next month, when the UFC has their first show in Poland.
