Joanna Jedrzejczyk confirms plans to return before UFC 299 card: ‘I was trying to force manager to let me go in’
Former undisputed strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk has revealed that although she has completely closed the door on a potential return to the UFC following her induction to the Hall of Fame earlier this month – she was weighing up the prospect of a retirement-ending return, up until UFC 299 in Miami, Florida.
Jedrzejczyk, a former undisputed strawweight champion under the banner of the Dana White-led promotion, is set to be the latest fighter to receive their induction into the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame later this summer – with the organization honoring the Polish veteran during the broadcast of UFC 299 earlier this month.
A dominant former strawweight queen, has been sidelined since she co-headlined UFC 274 back in 2022, suffering a stunning second round spinning back-fist KO loss to incoming UFC 300 star, Zhang Weili in the pair’s title-eliminator rematch in Singapore.
And calling time on her illustrious mixed martial arts career in the immediate aftermath of her knockout loss to the Chinese sensation, Jedrzejczyk has weighed up the prospect of a return to the Octagon – most notably at the beginning of last year, before lingering injuries prevented the Muay Thai ace’s comeback to the sport.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk shuts door on UFC comeback
Commenting on her heralded induction in the promotion’s Hall of Fame earlier this month ahead of a summer ceremony, Jedrzejczyk has revealed she was campaigning for a comeback to the Octagon – as recently as prior to UFC 299 in ‘The Sunshine State’.
“I have to be honest with you, yes [I considered ending my retirement],” Joanna Jedrzejczyk told MMA Fighting. “Even a few days before the last show in Miami, I was like trying to force my manager to let me go in. But my family, some of my fans and friends, they don’t want me to do this anymore. I’m like in between, but I’m not going to fight in the UFC ever again.”
“Honestly, the first eight months after I retired were the most difficult months in my life probably,” Joanna Jedrzejczyk explained. “Because I was thinking everyday, I was even calling and texting Dana (White), Hunter (Campbell), my manager, Dan Lambert, my family that I was going to come back.”
As recently as earlier this year, Jedrzejczyk revealed she still had aspirations to mint herself as a strawweight champion one final time.
A dominant former strawweight gold holder, Jedrzejczyk with a 2015 knockout win over Carla Esparza, before racking up consecutive successful title defense wins over Jessica Penne, Valerie Letourneau, Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Jessica Andrade.
Would you have liked to see Joanna Jedrzejczyk make one final Octagon walk?
