When the conversation is brought up about who is the best female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, most fight fans immediately reference names Cris Cyborg or Ronda Rousey. However, women's Strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk -- who will attempt to defend her title this weekend (Sat., Nov. 12, 2016) at the expense of Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0) at UFC 205 -- has an unblemished professional record (12-0). Indeed, "Joanna Champion" is often overlooked in this conversation. And it is mainly because she’ll lose a popularity contest in comparison to Rousey and Cyborg.
Jedrzejczyk doesn’t carry the same mystique as Rousey, who has reached "idol" status in the hearts and minds of many adoring fans. Rousey’s ruthless approach to the fight game features her catchy one-liners in interviews, her death stare when face-to-face with opponents, and -- most important -- her quick finishes inside the Octagon. This combination allows her to be an ambassador for strong women everywhere and the platform to become a crossover star. Even though "Rowdy" suffered her first UFC defeat last year and went into hiding for a while, she still remains the most popular fighter -- male or female -- in the sport. Rousey will return at UFC 207 to fight Amanda Nunes for the women's Bantamweight title on Dec. 30, 2016.
As for Cyborg, she’s not as popular as Rousey, but she has a unique reputation that makes her popular by default. The nickname "Cyborg" is intimidating in itself, but the beatings that she has dished out over the years has earned her the reputation as the most feared female fighter alive. Folks in MMA circles speak about Cyborg as if she is a ghost lurking in the shadows waiting to pulverize anyone in her path. Her physique also intimidates many UFC fighters because she’s a lot bigger than most of the women on the roster, which is the reason her two UFC fights have been at Catchweight 140 pounds.
UFC 205 could launch Jedrzejczyk into the spotlight that her talent deserves, but her opponent, Kowalkiewicz, will make that trajectory difficult. Jedrzejczyk will need to deliver a dominant performance in what can be described as a "Civil War" between the two Polish standouts. She needs to finish the fight early to make an impressive statement and to validate her greatness.
Jedrzejczyk has won seven of her 12 professional fights via decision, which doesn’t always appeal to fans. Some have questioned her status among the female elite based on her close two fights against Claudia Gadelha, who took her down repeatedly and pushed her to the brink. An exciting fight -- coupled with her charisma on this huge stage --will be the recipe to launch her into those conversations as the best female fighter of all time.