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Joanna Jedrzejczyk was one of the greatest women’s champions in UFC history. Prior to her title loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217, she had an unbeaten 14-0 MMA record. Her fights were entertaining and the animosity with some of her opponents was palpable, bringing more attention to the strawweight division.
‘JJ’ has been linked to a rematch with former strawweight champion Zhang Weili. The two competed in arguably the greatest women’s fight in UFC history in 2020. Aside from a rematch with Weili, it would be a tough sell if the promotion gave her another title shot.
In the meantime, perhaps the former strawweight champion could return to flyweight, where there are more intriguing fights for her. A return to 125 lbs could rejuvenate her career and allow her to make another attempt at becoming a two-division champion. This list will look at five possible opponents for Joanna Jedrzejczyk if she returns to flyweight.
#5) Jedrzejczyk vs. Casey O’Neill
Based on the landscape of the flyweight division, Casey O’Neill vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk could be realistic should she return to 125lbs. She is currently one of the most exciting prospects and could be in the top-10 in the coming months.
‘King’ has an unbeaten 9-0 MMA record and is coming off a win over veteran Roxanne Modafferi. It was a great test for her, as ‘The Happy Warrior’ was durable and resilient throughout the fight. She was awarded a split-decision win in what ended up being Modafferi’s final bout.
O’Neill is in for another tough test as she’s scheduled to compete against former title challenger Jessica Eye at UFC 276. If she can defeat ‘Evil’, she will definitely move into the top-10 of the division. Depending on what transpires in that fight, 'King' could be a logical opponent for 'JJ' if she chooses to move up to flyweight.
#4) Jedrzejczyk vs. Jennifer Maia
Joanna Jedrzejczyk could also decide to test herself against a top-8 opponent right away and pursue a bout with no. 6 Jennifer Maia. The former Invicta flyweight champion is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Manon Fiorot.
Maia would be an interesting opponent as they both have high-level Muay Thai backgrounds. Even though Maia has relied more on her Jiu-Jitsu, she could choose to prove she’s the better striker against the former strawweight champion.
‘JJ’ throws high volume strikes and is a durable fighter. She went the distance with reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in the past. She has proved that she’s capable of maintaining the same durabilitinat a heavier weight class. With that said, it’d be interesting to see how Maia is able to deal with that pressure.
#3) Jedrzejczyk vs. Katlyn Chookagian
If Jedrzejczyk wants to fast track to another title shot, a fight with former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian would do it. Like ‘JJ’, Chookagian is a durable fighter. 14 out of her 17 wins have come via decision, so she is no stranger to going the distance.
‘Blonde Fighter’ is currently riding a three-fight winning streak that includes unanimous decision wins over Maia, Cynthia Calvillo, and Viviane Arujio. This is impressive as she remains the No.2 ranked flyweight and is in the mix for a title shot.
Chookagian received criticism for her fighting style in the past, but that hasn’t fazed her. She spoke out about the criticism and stated that she wouldn’t change her style for the sake of being entertaining.
“That’s just my style, and I’m confident in myself as a fighter and a martial artist, and I’m happy with how I perform. And if that was supposed to be an issue, then that’s just how it is supposed to be.” - Katlyn Chookagian to reporters at UFC 247 media scrum
#2) Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade 2
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Jessica Andrade 2 would be an intriguing flyweight bout. Their first encounter took place at UFC 211, which saw ‘JJ’ retain the strawweight championship via unanimous decision. It was her fifth and final title defense as she lost the title to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217.
‘Bate Estaca’ has done well since moving up to 125lbs. She made a statement in her flyweight debut by defeating No.2 ranked Chookagian by first-round KO. The win was significant as she earned both a Performance of the Night bonus as well as a title shot. She came up short in her title opportunity as Shevchenko defeated her by second-round TKO.
Andrade didn’t dwell on the loss and came back stronger. She most recently defeated No.11 ranked Cynthia Cavillo via first round TKO after a flurry of punches against the fence. Since ‘Bate Estaca’ is the No.1 ranked flyweight, the rematch could possibly serve as a title eliminator.
#1) Jedrzejczyk vs. Miesha Tate
The most lucrative fight for Jedrzejczyk is against Miesha Tate. The former UFC bantamweight champion is a legend in women’s MMA and has been 1-1 since coming out of retirement.
‘Cupcake’ returned to the octagon last year and looked great against Marion Reneau. But she wasn’t able to continue the momentum and lost via unanimous decision to Ketlen Vieira last November. As a result, she decided to try something different and changed weight-divisions. She is scheduled to make her flyweight debut at UFC 276, when she fights former title challenger Lauren Murphy.
Tate would have an excellent opportunity as she could earn a title shot if she defeated Murphy in her flyweight debut. If she doesn’t earn an immediate title shot, the timing could work well for a bout with ‘JJ’. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the two former champions meet in the octagon at 125 lbs.
