Las Vegas, NV — Forget about Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s weight cut for UFC 248.
Back at UFC Tampa in October, rumors swirled that Jedrzejczyk (16-3), a former strawweight champion, was struggling to make weight. It turned out to be bunk — the former ‘Joanna Champion’ hit the mark with ease. She earned a unanimous decision win over Michelle Waterson that night, which eventually led to a title shot against current 115lb champion Weili Zhang. That show is now just days away. UFC 248 goes down this Saturday.
Poland’s Jedrzejczyk is expecting similar results in Las Vegas this week. “It was the easiest weight cut in Tampa,” she told media outlets including Cageside Press at Wednesday’s UFC 248 open workouts. “This time, I woke up 123 guys. So it’s like nothing. If you ask the fighters, it’s like nothing. I will just break a sweat tonight. I’m still drinking two gallons of liquid every day. Eating good, three meals a day. Two snacks.”
She attributes the ease of this Fight Week to both the UFC Performance Institute, and her own knowledge. Jedrzejczyk also sounded upbeat about getting to forgo some of the more grueling aspects of making weight. “I really don’t have to do the bath, I don’t have to go to the sauna. There’s not going to be an impact on my body, my mind. I’m not going to stress my body and mind. I will recover faster after the weigh-ins, and be ready.”
Jedrzejczyk admits that in the past, she did struggle with the cut down to strawweight. Especially during her title reign. Something she attributes to having the “wrong people” around her.
“In this business, when you make it to the top, and when you’re the champ, there is so many obligations, so many stuff,” Joanna explained. “And I’m always willing to do it, more and more and more. But sometimes you need people around to help you. You need an assistant, you need good management. Finally, I found a good management company.”
There was another factor as well. “The other thing is, same with the nutritionist. They’re trying things. But they were never athletes. Maybe they read books about it, but it’s a science for them,” she exclaimed. “‘Eat, eat, you’re going to be fine,” Jedrzejczyk says she was told in the past. “No. At the end, we, fighters, have to struggle. I broke my hand two times, right after the fight, because of the wrong diet.”
Jedrzejczyk’s come a long way from UFC 217 in November 2017, she added. “I’m happy that I’m alive after what happened in New York before the Rose [Namajunas] fight, the first Rose fight,” she said. “So just the knowledge, I’m more smart. I listen to my body more, and I trust myself more.”
Watch the full UFC 248 open workout media scrum with Joanna Jedrzejczyk above!
