Jedrzejczyk started combat sports to be pretty

UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk spoke recently with interview juggernaut Submission Radio about how she got started in combat sports as a teenager.

I was like 10 kilos (22 pounds) more heavy than now,” she explained. “So I didn’t feel good, you know? I was at high school at that time, so I wanted to be a good looking girl.

I was 16, I just wanted to do something in my life,” she said. “I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to lose some weight and I went for my first training. In the beginning I didn’t know what Muay Thai meant. You know? But I liked it so much, and after six months of training I had my first competition in Poland. I won, and after that I knew that I wanted to do it.

Now I’m healthy, I’m in shape and I’m happy because I finished physical education as well. So I could be a teacher, a personal trainer, but yeah I’m a professional athlete.

The transition from Muay Thai to MMA was difficult for her.

I had some dreams,” she began. “Like in the Muay Thai I always wanted to be the best, and then they wanted me to fight in MMA. And in the beginning it wasn’t easy, because in my ambitions, I always have high ambitions. You know what I mean? And in the beginning it was difficult to learn wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, and I didn’t know what exactly was gonna happen. But I had a dream and because dream came true 14th of march when I won the UFC title. So I was dreaming about it and I was training hard for it. So that’s why I survived.

Although she became champ at 115, she did not even know if it was possible to make the cut off.

Even 12 months ago I didn’t expect that I could make 115,” she said. “I was trying, but I didn’t have a good dietician. But right before I signed the contract with the UFC, I got in contact with Jacob Mauricz. He’s one of the famous dieticians in Poland and probably soon he’s gonna be the most famous dietician in Europe. And I’m very happy. And now it’s very easy for me to make 115. So I’m happy I’m a part of the 115 division. But normally I’m like 125, even little bit more.

Jedrzejczyk fights Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 69: J?drzejczyk vs. Penne, on June 20, 2015 at O2 World in Berlin, Germany, and declined to engage in any trash talk.

I couldn’t wait [until] the UFC was going to announce my next fight, but I didn’t expect that it going to happen so quick,” she said. “You know because Gustafsson supposed to have main event fight in Berlin, but yeah I was happy when they called me. Of course I feel sorry for Gustafsson that he got injured, but I’m happy that I can fight in Europe and I can have a main event fight. And yeah Jessica, she’s a very good fighter. She’s got lots of fights, lots of experience. She was former Invicta champion and she’s number three in the world. So I’m happy. I think she’s a good opponent for me and it will be an interesting fight for me, for her, for our fans, and people around us. So yeah I’m very happy.

“Every fight gonna be more difficult. You can be underdog, but you can beat the champion. This is what I did last time. And so I have lots of respect to my opponents. Of course me and my trainers, we have some game plans for this fight like for every fight, but you never know what’s gonna happen in the octagon. So you must have a different plan, second by second when you’re in the octagon. So Jessica, she’s working very good on the ground, her wrestling is good, but not as good as Carla’s wrestling, but I think she can strike better than Carla and then she will try to take me down. But we will see. They cannot do it, yeah? I’m gonna stay the champion (laughs).

I will do my things, keep on striking and have a few aces in my pocket. But I will show you June 20 in Berlin.”