Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk was considered to be a far better mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter than her challenger Valerie Letourneau ahead of their co-main event last night (Sat., Nov. 14, 2015) at the UFC 193 pay-per-view (PPV) event inside Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Letourneau was a longshot to win and came into the meeting a winner of three straight in UFC, but had zero finishes. Jedrzejczyk ruined her last two opponents via strikes, including former division champion Carla Esparza and atomweight import Jessica Penne.
Contrary to popular belief, "Trouble" stood tall and proved to be a very credible threat throughout their 25-minute title romp.
It was the Canadian who got off to a fast start, scoring a takedown off a Jedrzejczyk kick. Letourneau pinned the Muay Thai tactician on the canvas for a couple of minutes, landing pinpoint elbows and short strikes.
"Joanna Champion" came storming back and rocked Letourneau with a brutal front kick, which sent the latter staggering backward. The 28-year-old striker continued her assault, reeling off multiple leg kicks that set the tone for the rest of the bout.
Her hand speed was also prevalent as she was able to send a bevvy of lightning-fast punches the way of the American Top Team (ATT) representative.
Letourneau hung tough on the strength of her kicking game, frequently targeting the body of Jedrzejczyk. She would connect on a head kick in round one and landed several good right hands over the course of the first two rounds.
As time wore on, and they entered the third round, the leg kicks of Jedrzejczyk began to show their affect on Letourneau, whose left thigh was visibly damaged. It didn't stop her from throwing accurate body and leg kicks for the remainder of the fight, but it hindered her mobility quite a bit.
Swelling over the left eye of Jedrzejczyk worsened in the championship rounds, but it wasn't an issue for the revered striker. The body of Letourneau also became a target for Jedrzejczyk as the latter slowed down. Ultimately, it was the speed and angles of the 115-pound ruler that ousted a very game Letourneau "Down Under."
Jedrzejczyk defended her title for the second straight time and improves to 11-0, while Letourneau falls to 8-4.
For complete results from the UFC 193: "Rousey vs. Holm" card, including post-fight recaps and analysis, click here. For the Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Valerie Letourneau fight recap click here.
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