Contents
Joanna Jędrzejczyk
Winning the UFC strawweight title and defending it five times.
Strawweight championship · Five title defences
- Born
- 18 August 1987
- Birthplace
- Olsztyn, Poland
More people
Joanna Jędrzejczyk
Polish fighter who brought a decorated Muay Thai background to mixed martial arts. Her striking helped establish the UFC women’s strawweight division.
Early life
A fitness class
Discovered Muay Thai at sixteen after initially taking it up for fitness.
International experience
Competed extensively in Muay Thai and kickboxing before switching sports.
Career
- 2012
MMA debut
Began professional mixed martial arts after her striking career.
- 2014–2017
UFC champion
Joined the UFC, captured its strawweight belt and defended it five times.
- 2022–2024
Retirement and recognition
Retired after her second Zhang Weili bout and entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2024.
Achievements
Strawweight championship
Defeated Carla Esparza to win the UFC title.
Five title defences
Successfully defended the belt against five challengers.
Zhang Weili fight
Lost a closely contested five-round title fight by split decision.
Beyond sport
Faith
Has spoken about her Catholic faith and pre-fight prayer.
Life outside fighting
Her retirement announcement emphasized time for family and interests beyond competition.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Career and achievements ↗Photo: KRK.TV. CC BY 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
