Joanna Jedrzejczyk wants her UFC Hall of Fame induction to take some time, so she doesn’t feel like a retired old day.
Jedrezjczyk retired after losing to Weili Zhang for a second consecutive time at UFC 275. The Polish former champion is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, considering her various UFC records and legendary title run.
Surprisingly, Jedrezjczyk isn’t ready for her HOF induction. During an interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, the former UFC strawweight champion had this to say on inevitably being inducted into the Hall of Fame:
“I feel so young and I feel like I could be fighting, because the last camp was really the best camp of my life. It’s hard. I wanted to be the UFC champion one more time – not the Hall of Famer … not the retired old lady. It will be an honor. But we will see. Maybe they will surprise me one day, but I don’t think I’m ready to be a grandma.”
At 35, Jedrzejczyk returning to the UFC wouldn’t be shocking after hearing her comments about the Hall of Fame. The Polish legend joined the UFC with a record of 6-0. She then won eight consecutive fights, including six title defenses, before losing five out of her last seven with losses to Rose Namajunas, Valentina Shevchenko, and Weili Zhang.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk thought she was going to fight more before retiring
Before retiring at UFC 275, Joanna Jedrzejczyk re-signed with the UFC for six more fights. The former strawweight champion also seemed thrilled about her latest training camp during fight week. During the same interview, Jedrzejczyk hinted at a possible return to the UFC by saying:
“I thought that I was going fight more because before my last fight I signed a new deal with UFC for six fights. I feel like it was the right decision for that moment. It isn’t easy. I always wanted to retire on my rules. I could keep doing this. I’m healthy and I have said that I want to be a businesswoman and be a mom, because the last 19 years I’ve been traveling, training and working so hard I had no personal life. I used to say I was sacrificing, but no – I’m investing. Now I’m enjoying. We’ll see. I don’t like to do things halfway. I always go 100 percent. We will see. But being a Hall of Famer, it’s a big dream – same as being UFC champion.”
Jedrzejczyk currently holds the UFC records for most strawweight title defenses, most consecutive strawweight wins, tied for the most title fights for female UFC fighters, tied for most wins in strawweight history, and more. The first UFC Polish champion will go down as an all-time great, regardless of whether she unretires.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk plans to enter MMA management to help guide fighters away from the "rats" in the industry.@MikeBohn's interview: https://t.co/yLuvpnDGHG pic.twitter.com/mwatF5vT0w
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 7, 2022
