UFC strawweight champion Joana Jedrzejczyk has talked in the past about potentially moving up to the promotion’s newly installed flyweight division, but in her latest interview she indicates that it’s not going to happen right away.
“I was talking a lot about the 125 division, but it was before I was working with Perfecting Athletes,” Jedrzejczyk told Ariel Helwani on ‘The MMA Hour’ show.
“Now I feel great. I feel healthy. I make my weight very easy, but who knows? This year I want to be focused on my strawweight belt, tie Ronda Rousey’s record of six title defenses and in March I want to fight one more time in the strawweight division and after that we will see.
“I may go up to the 125 division. It’s all about the right time and the right decision, so we will see.”
If she did step up to 125lbs that would likely put her on a collision course with her old nemesis, Valentina Shevchenko, who holds three wins over the champion from back in their days as a Muay Thai fighters.
Shevchenko has already indicated that after narrowly losing out in her latest bantamweight title bid against Amanda Nunes that she plans to drop down to 125lbs, but Jedrzejczyk is keeping her cards close to her chest as to whether that’s a fight she wants or not.
“I have a very good relationship with Valentina Shevchenko. I don’t want to say I want to fight her, but we will see.”
For the time being, the Polish star is just relishing the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy in the 115lb division that she’s ruled with an iron fist for the past two-and-a-half years.
“I want to keep proving to people that I’m simply the best and I’m the champion for a reason. This will be my sixth title defense. I want to clean out the strawweight division and that’s what I’m going to do.”
