Karolina Kowalkiewicz accredits UFC return to Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Karolina Kowalkiewicz is back in the UFC Octagon and she is giving the credit to her former opponent Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
It had been 10 months since Kowalkiewicz’s last time in the Octagon when she made the walk this past weekend at UFC Vegas 56. Her last time out was a loss to Jessica Penne and that loss was the fifth in a row. Kowalkiewicz has been through a lot during her seven-year UFC run, ups and downs, wins and losses, and even a title shot. Now she is back in the win column and she is crediting her former opponent for her comeback.
Back in 2016, Joanna Jedrzejczyk was on top of the strawweight division, she seemed virtually unstoppable. She was the pride of Poland and when the opportunity to have two Polish fighters at the top of their game, fight each other, was too good to pass up. Kowalkiewicz took on her fellow countrywoman at UFC 205 and a rivalry began. Now six years later the two have joined forces. Kowalkiewicz spent her training camp this tie round at the home gym of Jedrzejczyk, American Top Team in Florida.
“Before this fight, I changed everything,” Kowalkiewicz said in her post-fight interview. “I knew this was my last chance to do something. I left my family, my dogs in Poland. I came to ATT in Florida. I spent two months alone without my friends, my family, my husband, my dogs. I trained with Coach Parrumpa and with Coach Anderson. I trusted them and now I won my fight.”
The two were seen training together on social media and it seemed that their rivalry had truly transformed into a friendship.
“It was a hard decision, but I knew it would be good for me,” Kowalkiewicz said. “… Joanna helped me to organize this whole fight camp. J.J., thank you very much. I am here because of you. This winning is teamwork.”
Following Kowalkiewicz was not actually in attendance as she is getting ready for a UFC return of her own at UFC 275 this weekend in Singapore.
