After near-finish, Kowalkiewicz wants title rematch with UFC champ Jedrzejczyk in Poland

NEW YORK – UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have walked away with yet another dominant win on Saturday, but Karolina Kowalkiewicz certainly made her work for it.

In an all-Polish duel of then-undefeated strawweights, Kowalkiewicz (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) couldn’t keep up with Jedrzejczyk’s (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) relentless pace and volume, but she impressed with her toughness and ability to absorb punishment after five rounds of nonstop action.

The title bout was part of Saturday’s UFC 205 pay-per-view main card at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Despite the clear-cut decision loss, with 49-46 scores across the broad, the challenger did have one glimmer of hope in the fourth round; a cleanly landed right hand stunned a suddenly off-balance champ.

Jedrzejczyk later dismissed the blow and said she was never in real danger. But Kowalkiewicz sees it differently.

“I was so close (to finishing), I know it,” Kowalkiewicz said after the event. “I think she didn’t expect that I am so tough.”

Despite the frustration of failing after coming “so close” to capturing the UFC’s 115-pound belt, the No. 4 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s strawweight rankings was ultimately happy with her role at a historic event.

“I feel really good,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I’m a little bit sad and angry because I was so close during this fight. But I feel good. It was a good fight. I do what I love, so it’s OK.

“I am part of something big. And this is something amazing. The energy from these people is something great.”

Going all five rounds with No. 1-ranked Jedrzejczyk, Kowalkiewicz said, was a valuable experience. So much that, should they ever meet again, a “better prepared” challenger seems confident in the outcome.

“I’ll beat her next time,” Kowalkiewicz said. “Rematch in Poland.”

Check out the full video above.

And for complete coverage UFC 205, check out the UFC Events section of the site.