The UFC’s strawweight division is the newest group added to the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. Joanna Jedrzejczyk has snatched the title away from Carla Esparza to put herself at the top of the weight class. She dominated in her performance at UFC 185 to earn the second-round stoppage. Fans should be excited about what is to come in this weight class as it continues to work itself out.
Jedrzejczyk used a steady dose of takedown defense and striking to finish off Esparza . By the time their co-main event affair was over, she had proved she had the tools to stay on her feet while delivering punishing combinations. The confidence that she displayed in her skill set leading up to the fight proved to be well founded.
“I am a confident person and I said I was going to be a new champion,” Jedrzejczyk said during the UFC 185 post-fight press conference. “You didn ’t believe in me. That’s why I’m here. I always believed in myself and that’s why I’m here."
It will be interesting to see how the division sorts itself out from this point. Many individuals were impressed with Jedrzejczyk ’s win and how effective she was from start to finish.
Going forward, there are a lot of questions as to what is next for the new women’s champion.
At UFC on Fox 13, Jedrzejczyk made it through a tough battle with Claudia Gadelha in which she took a split decision. Gadelha is currently ranked in the second position and is planned to compete on April 11 as the UFC travels to Poland. If Gadelha pulls out a convincing victory, she could set the table for the rematch with the current champion.
Beyond that fight, there are still a number of other questions within this weight class. Jessica Penne , Rose Namajunas and Tecia Torres flush out the top five and would be interesting challengers if the opportunity sees fit. Jessica Aguilar is another name within the division, but she’s currently signed to the World Series of Fighting. If she were to become a free agent, she could immediately be added to the equation.
This is an interesting time within the development of the division. Women’s mixed martial arts still has an allure to it which allows it to grab attention in ways that does not occur on the men’s side. Even though there are far less “big name” women fighters than men, the strawweight division has a chance to quickly grow in comparison to the men’s flyweight division.
Joanna is just the type of fighter around whom the UFC can build this division. Her performance at UFC 185 is just the start of what will be a story worth watching.
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