Penne: Jedrzejczyk is a bully
“I’ve dealt with bullies my whole life. It doesn’t really bother me. They have to things to make them feel better about themselves and they want a reaction.”
There was a time when being a bully in the fight world was kind of a good thing. Gray Maynard made a career out of it. But bullying has become recognized as a major problem for many children in schools, and it has become a term of accusation in the fight world as well.
Jessica Penne watched with dismay as now UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk taunted her friend, then champion Carla Esparza, as the Embedded cameras rolled. Jedrjzejczyk says the trash talk may have broken Esparza.
“I was like, ‘Carla, what are you doing?!'” said Penne to Marc Raimondi for MMAFighting.com. “I was like, ‘Say something. Why are you letting her do this to you?’ It was really surprising. You’re just going to let her do that to you? OK.”
“The stress from being on the show straight into promoting it, straight into a fight, straight into another fight was a lot. I think it would have been a lot for anyone. (Esparza)’s taking some much-needed downtime. I’m sure she’ll come back strong.
“I’ve dealt with bullies my whole life. It doesn’t really bother me. They have to things to make them feel better about themselves and they want a reaction.”
“She’s a bully and it’s mental warfare. She plays the game and she plays it very well. She knows what she needs to do to make herself feel strong in the fight and she does it effectively.
“I think it’s a big part of her game. I definitely do. It’s smart. It works for her, so why not?”
“I think I’m a more well-rounded fighter. I’ve been in this game a long time and I have what it takes to beat her — with or without the mental games.”
Jessica Penne fights Joanna Jedrzejczyk on Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 69 on UFC Fight Pass.