Felice Herrig happy to be 'graced with' opponent she asked for, reportedly Karolina Kowalkiewicz

ST. LOUIS – Felice Herrig asked and, finally, it looks like she shall receive.

After her latest win, a split decision over Cortney Casey at UFC 218, Herrig expanded her winning streak to four in the UFC. This was months after the strawweight veteran delivered an emotional post-fight speech, in which she opened up about what she perceived as difficulties getting opportunities with the promotion.

Speaking to MMAjunkie Radio shortly after the Casey fight, Herrig said she didn’t see significant improvement in that department. But she did say that, given her momentum, there was no reason why she shouldn’t get matched up with top-10 competition next.

It appears she got it.

While she wouldn’t reveal who her next opponent is, Herrig said she’s already signed a bout agreement and should be in camp soon.

“This is actually the opponent I asked for,” Herrig told MMAjunkie backstage at Scottrade Centre in St. Louis, where she attended UFC Fight Night 124. “I’m not saying I asked for it publicly. But I asked (UFC matchmaker) Mick Maynard for the fight, and he graced me with it.”

According to a report by MMANytt, which MMAWeekly later confirmed, that opponent is former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz. The reports say the 115-pound bout is expected for UFC 223 on April 7. Although not announced by the promotion, the event is rumored to take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

If that turns out to be the case, Herrig did kind of ask for it publicly. During that same interview with MMAJunkie Radio, the strawweight said she believes the ex-title-challenger, who sits five spots above her in the official UFC rankings, could be both an exciting fight and a “good gauge” for her.

At 33, Herrig (13-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has found quite the groove in the octagon, having recovered from a loss to Paige VanZant with wins over Kailin Curran, Alexa Grasso, Justine Kish, and Casey.

Kowalkiewicz (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), in turn, has recently recovered from a two-fight losing skid (which included a title effort) with a unanimous-decision win over Jodie Esquibel.

While we’ve yet to receive official word on Herrig’s opponent, fact is that it’s someone she requested. And that, in itself, seems like a good start to a year that could be big for Herrig.

“18 is my lucky number, so it would be really bad if 2018 wasn’t good for me,” Herrig said.

That, of course, rides on being able to keep her momentum going. And, while  there are always adjustments to be made, the strawweight believes the key to making sure that happens lies in sticking to the system that’s been paying dividends.

“I don’t really have a plan. I just hope to keep doing everything the way I’ve been doing it,” Herrig said. “As every fight, obviously I plan on winning. But I think, too, I’m trying not to put as much pressure on myself.

“Because every fight, I felt like I had to top myself. So, ‘OK, now I have to be in camp longer,’ even though it would maybe burn me out. ‘Last time, I did 10 weeks, but this time I’ve got to do 12.’ I’m just trying to keep everything the same. The system has been working, and I’m trying not to mess with that.”

To hear from Herrig, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.