UFC star Joanna Jedrzejczyk is promising more violence in her rematch with Zhang Weili this weekend, but is hoping not to take as much damage as in their first fight.
The Polish fighter was brutally disfigured during their first fight after taking major shots to the head from her Chinese rival, ultimately losing a razor-close decision. The bout took place at UFC 248 right before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and ended up being named Fight of the Year after the pair went hell for leather in a brutal five-round war.
Jedrzejczyk hasn't fought in the two years since, while Zhang has been defeated twice in the meantime by Rose Namajunas, losing her belt in the process. The duo will only have three rounds between them this time around, and Jedrzejczyk believes she will need controlled violence to pick up the win.
“I think that she’s not the same after our first fight,” Jedrzejczyk told MMA Junkie. “Of course I lost, but she’s not the same. But she’s still one of the most dangerous in the division. It’s going to be a hell of a fight.
“I just have to put the gas pedal down and be first, violent, but smart from the first seconds of the fight. There is no time to be wasted in this fight, so we have to play my game from the first seconds of the fight. “It’s going to be medical procedure, I’m going to be the best surgeon and I will pick the right tools and use them at the right time. Sharp.”
Speaking on her more than two years out of the octagon, the Polish former champion admitted she had taken the decision herself in an effort to improve before coming back. Many argued that she had won the first meeting between the pair, but after suffering such burtal injuries including two massive hematomas on her forehead, she felt she needed time off.
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“It was my personal decision to not fight,” she explained. “The first break I took was after the fight with Valentina Shevchenko [in 2018, after which she took 10 months off]. I needed that. When I was the UFC champ, I was fighting very often. I was very active.
"One of the reasons I took a longer break was the time for myself. We don’t have the balance between the private life and the business and sports life. Then there was no fans at the arena and for me, there is no sport, any sport, without fans. I’m happy I can perform in front of thousands of people in the arena or watching TV.”
There will be fans in attendance in Singapore this weekend as they compete on the undercard of Glover Texeira's first light-heavyweight title defence against Jiri Prochazka. Around 12,000 will pack into the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the promotion's first pay-per-view event in the country.
