Karolina Kowalkiewicz weighs up UFC retirement at Madison Square Garden: ‘It’s hard for me’

Veteran former strawweight title challenger, Karolina Kowalkiewicz insists she does not want to think about her impending retirement from combat sports at the moment — but believes a final outing at Madison Square Garden would be a profetic end to her run.

Kowalkiewicz, a perennial 115lbs contender under the umbrella of the promotion, is tasked with snapping a two-fight losing skid in her return to action, most recently dropping a unanimous decision loss to Denise Gomes back in November at the Apex facility.

Competing for undisputed strawweight spoils against Polish compatriot, Joanna Jedrzejczyk back in 2015, former KSW flyweight queen, Kowalkiewicz took on the Pole at Madison Square Garden on the main card of UFC 205 — in the first of three title fights in New York.

And returning for her sophomore outing at The Garden at UFC 281, Karolina Kowalkiewicz would this time prevail with a win, landing a unanimous decision success over Silvana Gomez-Juarez in a unanimous decision victory.

Karolina Kowalkiewicz weighs up potential retirement at Madison Square Garden

Yet to be booked to make her first of two remaining bouts on her current promotional deal, Kowalkiewicz plans a return to action in the coming months — potentially as soon as April, however, has sights on a potential retirement fight at Madison Square Garden in an annual return in November.

“I’ve fought in MSG two times so maybe my last fight fight will be in MSG,” Karolina Kowalkiewicz told Ariel Helwani for Uncrowned. “We will see… I don’t want to think about retirement right now because it’s hard for me. I really love it.”

Over the course of her storied career, Lodz native, Kowalkiewicz has turned in notable wins over the likes of Randa Markos, Rose Namajunas, Felice Herrig twice, Vanessa Demopoulus, and in her last victory, Diana Belbita.