After UFC Fight Night 69, Joanna Jedrzejczyk aims to be 'Ronda Rousey of strawweight'

Joanna Jedrzejczyk

BERLIN – Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have been expected to win her UFC Fight Night 69 main event bout with Jessica Penne, but it would have been unreasonable of anyone to expect her to blow out the challenger with the brutality and efficiency she displayed in the third round TKO performance.

The reigning UFC strawweight champion, Jedrzejczyk (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is in a position very familiar to UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Both fighters are undefeated champions who took their belts at a time when their division was still very much “in development” and who seem a few steps ahead of any potential challenger to the crown.

Perhaps that is why Jedrzejczyk chose to cite Rousey at the UFC Fight Night 69 post-fight press conference in describing the kind of champion she is aiming to be.

“I follow Ronda,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I’m a big fan of her. She’s simply the best for me. I want to be Ronda Rousey in the strawweight division. But I’m J.J., J.J. Champion.”

Jedrzejczyk earned some high praise from Rousey after her victory. The crossover star took to Twitter to describe her admiration for the strawweight queen.

Rousey was not the only big name in the UFC to utilize social media to talk up Jedrzejczyk.

UFC President Dana White also tweeted some compliments for the champion after her successful defense.

White also placed a call to Jedrzejcyk that brought her to tears.

“Five minutes ago I was crying in the restroom because Dana called me and I just imagined how important this year was for me,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I’m just very happy.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 69, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Berlin.)