I read a article on MMAmania today about the "Boogeywoman" Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This article wasn't revolved around Joanna typical wanting title shot and being deserving talk. Its involves the new straw-weight champ Weili Zhang and man......
The shit fighters say to save their image but it really blows up in their face.
In a interview given by Eurobash, Joanna talks about Zhang as follows:
"She’s good, but the truth is they offered me Weili Zhang three times before that fight and the thing is, she needed me,”
-Oh boy red flag number 1, but hold that thought. Next quote:
"Because they know I can bring them to a different level. Maybe they can be lucky and win against former UFC champion, a dominant champion, which I was. Get better money, get better exposure"
-In the game that involves a organization that relies on it's own fighters to promote themselves unless your a "superstar" (even that's less of a case now with the UFC joining forces with ESPN), beating a former champion does wonders for a fighter's brand. JJ knows this and wants to make that a bad thing.
"Okay, she’s the champ now so it might look like she never needed me to become someone. Why are they calling me out? Because they know I can bring them to a different level. Maybe they can be lucky and win against former UFC champion, a dominant champion, which I was."
"You all should ask her why she was calling me out?
-I think you already answered her question two quotes ago but go on.
"When I was a dominant champion, they were trying to get the belt, but nobody could keep the pace with me when they faced me. They can talk whatever they want, I’m too classy and too serious for all that bullshit.”
So I didn't say much under the quotes provided, but I want to say the main thing I caught when I read what she said:
Joanna is scared
Not scared of the challengers coming for her, more so of Weili Zhang.
I say she's scared because a fighter doesn't turn down a fight three times and make excuses. She claims that Zhang only wanted to fight her because she needed her, but before Zhang fought Andrade, they were close to each other in the rankings. I don't have the picture to show this but WMMAddict has made multiple videos on YouTube regarding this and other factors related to how interesting Joanna's moves were in response to Zhang.
Joanna's also saying the girls that were scared to call her out when she had the belt and all of a sudden gain courage to do so after she lost the belt for a better chance at making more money and gaining a bigger name. From the outside looking in, it looks like Zhang been wanting the smoke and Joanna is trying to find ways out.
Why is JJ finding ways out? I feel that Zhang reminds Joanna of who she lost to in her last fight:
Valentina Shevchenko
Not much in a skill sense but in a physicality sense. Not saying Zhang can't take Joanna to school in a counter striking sense, but physicality played a big factor in the Shev fight and I feel Zhang can do the same thing.
And I think Joanna feels the same way.
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