Jedrzejczyk: I will not say creepy stuff to Andrade

UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk appeared recently on Submission Radio, ahead of her fight with Jessica Andrade on March 13 at UFC 211 in Dallas, Texas.

Jessica is a challenge,” said Jedrzejczyk. “Every fight is a bigger challenge to me, every opponent is a big challenge to me. Every fight is more and more difficult. There is more and more pressure. I cannot say that I feel more stress with every title defense, that I feel more pressure about that, but honestly, there is more pressure because people expect more from me.”

“She’s going to be an underdog in this fight, but I think when you get this title shot, when you get the challenger position, you actually get like a hundred percent more power, more energy, you know, more everything to go for it. She has nothing to lose – just go there and fight. I have definitely more to lose, but that’s why I’m focused on my training more and more.”

Andrade recently said, “We know Joanna has a weaker chin.” Jedrzejczyk was not impressed.

This is not nice,” said Joanna. “I’ve known Jessica for a while, I’ve known [Sucker Punch Management director of operations Tiago Okamura] for a while. I know that Jessica doesn’t speak English so well and so I know there is someone behind her back, posting everything and talking this and that. So probably it’s Tiago.

“You know, we used to be like good friends, like a brother and sister, so I don’t understand them. This is what I said before – when you get the title shot, when you get the chance to fight and when you have a chance to get bigger exposure, don’t go crazy, be yourself. Like, be humble and work hard and get there. So that’s the thing, now she’s talking this and that, but I’m focused on our fight. If you’re saying that my chin is weak, try to knock me out.”

“I will not go crazy with her, I will not say like creepy stuff to her. But like I said, people get crazy sometimes and they think when they’re gonna talk more, they’re gonna get more exposure. Maybe they will, but let’s talk in the Octagon on the day of the fight on March 13th in Dallas.

“I’m trying to stay humble. Of course, there is more media attention on me and definitely more eyes on me, but I’m trying to deal with it and stay the same person. Of course, sometimes you must say something more hard, more loud and people will change your words, but the thing is that I know what I’m doing and I’m trying to be the best version of myself every day – not just the best fighter every single day, but better person every day. I’m humble, I’m trying to work hard and I’m trying to not get crazy with all those media and the attention and trying to do my job in the gym first.

Jedrzejczyk was asked what it would take to reach the top of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings:
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Conor McGregor
3 Daniel Cormier
4 Jose Aldo
5 Cody Garbrandt
6 Stipe Miocic
7 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
8 Tyron Woodley
9 Dominick Cruz
10 Michael Bisping

I cannot just go there and show my striking because I’m good in that,” she said. “I must show people that I’m changing, that I’m still learning and even though I’m still a champion, I’m not trying to stick to the same things. I must show to people that I’m the best deal in the business. So even though I’m a female fighter, I’m happy that we are getting more and more exposure. Now it’s crazy everywhere. So definitely I see myself at like top five, top three, even the first place one day in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Another record of potential interest in title defenses:
1. Anderson Silva • Middleweight • 10
2. Georges St-Pierre • Welterweight • 9
2. Demetrious Johnson • Flyweight • 9
4. Jon Jones • Light heavyweight • 8
5. Jose Aldo • Featherweight • 7
6. Ronda Rousey • Women’s bantamweight • 6
7. Matt Hughes • Welterweight • 5
7. Tito Ortiz • Light heavyweight • 5
9. Joanna Jedrzejcyk and others • 4

If Jedrzejczyk beats Andrade, that will make it 5, tieing with Hughes and Ortiz. The Pole was asked if he was interested in going for the record.

I will see,” she said. “Last year – you know what, I love my family so much, so people don’t understand how much I have done for my fighting career – because like I said at the beginning of the interview, that I left my fiancé and my family and my friends back in Poland. I was home last time for just for ten days and I spent seven days in Warsaw doing some media and I was back home just like for three, four days.”

“I’m very happy that I have my family. They support me and they know what I went through for so many years. Last year I said that I will fight just till the end of 2017, but with the new team, with the new people, I feel like I can fight and challenge myself and learn for the next two, three, four, five years. So I don’t know if I will fight for the next two, three, four, five years. Or after two, three, four fights I will say, ‘Okay, that’s enough, I’m very happy.’ Like I said, if I finish with fighting, I don’t know, next week, next month, next year, I will be very happy. But I cannot see myself as a free person, you know, because the fighting world, the sport is all my life. So I don’t know. It’s definitely difficult. It’s going to be a very difficult decision but I don’t know, I don’t know. I will see.

I have a plan for this year. So I really am happy that I will face Jessica Andrade at UFC 211. This card is sick. This card got so amazing. So many good fights. Half of the card is like ATT people (laughs) so it’s even better to all of us. But definitely then I would like to fight in the middle of summer, maybe July, August.

UFC 211 can’t come quick enough!