by Dane McGuire
Following a career that seemed to be winding down for some time ahead of UFC 275, former
UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk left her gloves in the octagon
Saturday night.
Jedrzejczyk retired after suffering a second-round knockout loss to Zhang Weili in their rematch.
“It was just the moment,” Jedrzejczyk said about her decision to retire during the UFC 275
post-fight press conference. “Of course, I had it in the back of my head like maybe there was
one day, maybe a year ago, if something happened I might retire because I’ve been in this
business for the last 19 years. Lots of investment from myself. It’s time to fully enjoy my life.
“Honestly, I had no time to sit on it and think about my legacy and how big it is, and I’m a hard
worker. I always dedicate myself. I give as much as I can and I get as much as I can the same
way but now it’s time to fully really enjoy it. Spend some time with my family. I started traveling
when I was 17, I used to live in Thailand, in Holland and in the [United] States, it’s been more
than six years from the time I moved to the States, I’ve been on the road. I’ve been doing this
most of my life so it’s time to really, fully enjoy.
Jedrzejczyk leaves the sport of MMA with 21 bouts under her belt including five defenses of the
UFC women’s strawweight championship. She had an a kickboxing and muay thai career of
almost 20 years before her time in the UFC.
An emotional Jedrzejczyk revealed after the bout she will take time off before embarking on a
new career in management.
“I’ve been saying that I’m the UFC soldier. I just got a message from [UFC Chief Business
Officer] Hunter [Campbell], I love you guys. I want to go on vacation. I’m planning on going to
International Fight Week and London and Paris and be around.
“In the future, I want to be the best manager I can be, learning from the best my manager
Jennifer Goldstein, CAA combat sports, Dan Lambert, the owner of [American Top Team]. I want
to be around. I just want to be around.”
“I always want to be remembered as one of the greatest and I will,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I’m just
the girl from the hood. J.J. from the hood. I did big things. I have to sit and think about what I
have achieved.
“I bought a nice apartment maybe two years ago. Do you know how many times I was there?
None. Like maybe I slept there two nights. Now I have time to fully enjoy it. I’ll go there, spend
some time, sit on it and enjoy it.”
The announcement of Jedrzejczyk’s UFC Hall of Fame induction is surely looming within the
next year. The next ceremony is scheduled for July during International Fight Week