Packed with past and present UFC champions, the pound-for-pound list is one the most prestigious rankings in the MMA world and dictates the top fighters on the UFC roster. There are several MMA enthusiasts who reject the UFC rankings as the ‘best in the world’ but their ability to attract the top talent around the globe suggests the opposite.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is likely the next possible candidate to crack the top 15 in the UFC. While the first eight spots are reserved for other champions, there is some wiggle room in the bottom seven. If Jedrzejczyk can defend her title even once, Johny Hendricks could be the odd man out. He did not record a single title defense and has lost two of his last four fights. Jedrzejczyk maintains a 9-0 record with three victories so far in the UFC.
In terms of skill, her striking is truly something special for any weight class. She has incredible accuracy with her combinations and is not afraid to get in close. Her cross and jab have helped her dictate previous fights and it should be no different moving forward. She has some room to grow in the power department but her ability to throw in bunches can cause serious problems for her opponent.
Considering all of her UFC fights were against grappling specialist, Jedrzejczyk has found ways of avoiding the ground and retaliates with devasting Muay Thai technique. By the numbers, Jedrzejczyk lands at a ridiculous 3.49 strikes per minute in the UFC and has the best defensive game in the division. While avoiding 71% of her opponents strikes, Jedrzejczyk also has a solid 81% takedown defense, making her a very versatile and confident fighter.
Before discussing her place on the UFC pound-for-pound list, Jedrzejczyk will have to defeat Jessica Penne this weekend at UFC Fight Night 69 in Germany. With all do respect to Penne, Jedrzejczyk is truly in a class of her own and is a -800 favorite (www.sportssinteraction.com) going into this fight. It would take nothing short of a miracle for Penne to pull off the upset victory over Polish-native Jedrzejczyk.
In terms of personality, the UFC may not have a more charismatic and down right adorable champion on their roster. After talking the talk prior to her fight with Carla Esparza, Jedrzejczyk is at it again with her recent poke at upcoming opponent Penne on Twitter.
Komu PENNE?! 😎 who wants PENNE?! #JJ #JoannaJedrzejczyk #UFCBERLIN #UFCchamp @ufcstore #pe… http://t.co/T7SeLC1o4X pic.twitter.com/6QTtgatynN
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk (@joannamma) June 14, 2015
With the ability to be quirky and deadly all at the same time, Jedrzejczyk is a quickly rising star among true MMA fans. By the looks of it, there are very few high-level contenders who can step up to Jedrzejczyk and she looks poised to dominate the UFC strawweight division for a very long time.
While this could be a bit premature, we may be looking at another Ronda Rousey-esque fighter at 115 pounds if Jedrzejczyk continues her path of destruction in the UFC.
