Joanna Jedrzejczyk Previews Her UFC Strawweight Championship Match vs. Zhang Weili

Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports

Joanna Jedrzejczyk challenges Zhang Weili for the UFC Strawweight Championship this Saturday at UFC 248.

Since the title’s creation in December 2014, Jedrzejczyk is the longest reigning champion. She put together a run of 966 days with the belt from March 2015 to November 2017. After a brief sabbatical in the flyweight division, Jedrzejczyk has returned to strawweight to reclaim what once belonged to her.

Standing in her way is Zhang, who won the title in August from Jessica Andrade in a fight that took place in Shenzhen, China.

Jedrzejczyk spoke with Sports Illustrated about her respect for Zhang, a regrettable social media post that mocked the champ, and her burning desire to regain the title.

Justin Barrasso: Your run as UFC Strawweight champ lasted for 966 days. What did you learn during that stretch? And has it been difficult to transition back to fighting without the belt?

Joanna Jedrzejczyk: There is lots pressure when you’re the champ and a lot more responsibility. You have to be focused on that all the time. I was the champ for a long time, I had five successful title defenses. I loved that. Now you can see these girls, they don’t know how to deal with it. I was the champ for a long time for a reason, and I’m the challenger for a reason, too.

JB: Do you have any regret on your deleted Instagram post that mocked Zhang Weili and the coronavirus in China?

JJ: Of course. People like to doubt each other, but I would never make fun of sick people or people with the virus. I would not do that. I apologize because it made her mad. I know who I am, and I would not do that. I want to laugh at myself, not at someone else.

JB: Is the hype that surrounds Weili real? Or did she catch Jessica Andrade at the right time after Andrade upset Rose Najmajunas?

JJ: She made it to the top. She beat the champ and became the best. We can’t take anything from her, but she hasn’t faced anyone like me yet. Let’s wait until Saturday and then we’ll see. She’s my next big challenge, and it’s a big fight for me. But it’s big test for her, too.

JB: Your first title defense as Strawweight champ took place in June 2015 when you defeated Jessica Penne in Berlin. Winning the belt is very different from defending it.

JJ: That’s true.

JB: You successfully defended the title on five separate occasions, but this is her first time in this position. How does that experience give you an edge in this fight?

JJ: It makes me more hungry than I ever was. This victory on Saturday is going to be bigger than my whole fighting career. This is for the best in the world, and there will be a lot of pressure [for Weili] as champ. Some people don’t know how to deal with that.

JB: How did you learn to deal with that pressure?

JJ: I just love it. I love work, and I love everything about being the top athlete in UFC. Some people want to be famous, they want to be rich. But they don’t put in the work outside the Octagon. You need to take pride in that and make sacrifices. Some people don’t like that.

JB: You have the tools necessary to defeat Weili with a combination of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and grappling. How did your training camp prepare you for this fight?

JJ: This time, I was more disciplined and more precise. I’m ready for everything and anything. The best scenario is winning in the first five minutes and knocking her out. But I’m ready for five rounds of war. Maybe she looks better on paper, but I’ve been through championship fights so many times, I’ve got that experience. It’s going to be my 14 UFC fight and 10 for the belt. That means a lot.

JB: Weili is capable of landing vicious knockout blows. Are you worried about your chin holding up if she is able to land some of her trademark punches?

JJ: She’s strong and she throws strong punches. She looks muscular, and she is, but I will test if she’s really strong. I have to take those punches, that’s the thing. I faced Jessica Andrade, who is as powerful as her. We’ll see. Every fight is different. My weight is super low, and I feel great. And I will have to be smart in this fight and very clever.

JB: If you defeat Weili, is your next goal to defend the title against Rose Namajunas, who has defeated you twice?

JJ: There is no ‘If I win.’ It’s ‘When I win.’ I’m focused on getting this belt back. After that, I don’t know what’s next. What’s after, we’ll see. We’ll see what Rose and Jessica Andrade do. I’m focused on the fight and enjoying the time with my team. We’ll see what happens after the fight.

JB: You had the title and lost it. Does that make you hungrier as you prepare for Saturday?

JJ: I’m more hungry now than I was before I stepped into the Octagon for my first UFC fight. I was there one time as champion, and I’ll make it happen again. You’ll hear, ‘And new…’

People may doubt me, but I know who I am. Weak people doubt me. I don’t care. I don’t have to prove anything to them. I know who I am as a human, a woman, and a fighter. I don’t have to win the belt to prove anything to them, but I am going to prove it to myself.

It’s going to be one of the best strawweight fights in the world. I was the champ for a reason, and I’ll prove that again on Saturday.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.