Joanna Jedrzejczyk Earns 'Champion' Nickname with Career-Defining Comeback

When international fans struggle with her unwieldy last name, Joanna Jedrzejczyk likes to joke that we can just call her "Joanna Champion."

In the wake of her stellar come-from-behind victory over Claudia Gadelha in The Ultimate Fighter season 23 finale Friday, that nickname fits the fiery, 28-year-old Polish striker better than ever.

For 10 minutes, it seemed as though Gadelha was about to unseat the UFC's dominant strawweight titlist. Jedrzejczyk, however, proved too well conditioned, too quick and perhaps just too mean to lose.

She took everything Gadelha had during the first two stanzas of their crackerjack five-round fight and emerged relatively unfazed and unscathed. She rallied down the stretch to turn away the stiffest challenge of her career and retain her 115-pound crown via unanimous decision (48-46, 48-45, 48-46).

"I've been preparing for this fight for three months," Jedrzejczyk told UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik in the cage when it was over. "I put in work—lots of blood, tears, bad moments—but like Muhammad Ali says: Survive and live for the rest of your life as a champion."

So ends—for now—the first bitter feud in UFC strawweight history.

It's also possible someday we will look back on this fight as the signature win of Jedrzejczyk's championship run.

She wasn't the fight company's first 115-pound champion, but she has been responsible for assigning the fledgling weight class its personality since winning the title in March 2015. Jedrzejczyk has earned a cult following in MMA circles, and every attribute that has made her popular with hardcore fans was on display in Las Vegas.

After digging herself a considerable hole during the first two rounds, Jedrzejczyk turned the tide using the impeccable cardio and startling striking skills that have launched her to 6-0 in the UFC and 12-0 overall.

She whittled away at the spirited Gadelha with pressure and beautiful, lightning-quick stand-up combinations. Jedrzejczyk isn't a knockout artist—who is at that weight?—but once things started to go her way, she built on her creeping, relentless style until the momentum couldn't be undone.

Even before the official scores were announced, the outcome was obvious, as was the enormity of Jedrzejczyk's performance. As Bleacher Report's Patrick Wyman put it:

"

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a special kind of fighter. 48-47 or 48-46 JJ in a competitive showcase against a fantastic opponent. #TUFFinale

— Dr. Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) July 9, 2016"

If the first couple of rounds showed us the potential holes in Jedrzejczyk's game—namely takedown defense—the last three illustrated exactly how hard it will be to beat her in a 25-minute fight using a slow-and-steady, grappling-based game plan.

After weathering the early assault, she touched up Gadelha to the face and body with a dizzying arsenal of punches, kicks, knees and elbows.

Jedrzejczyk was emotional in the cage after the decision was announced and apologized to Gadelha for the bad blood that had festered between them. At one point, Gadelha seized the mic for an ostensibly feel-good moment, though it was difficult to discern whether her comments were reconciliatory or a further rebuke.

Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

"This is very important," Gadelha said, pointing at Jedrzejczyk's championship belt, "but more important is here [in your heart], respecting people and being humble."

The pair have shared a simmering beef ever since Jedrzejczyk won a split decision over Gadelha in a three-round fight in December 2014.

The heat was turned up on the rivalry earlier this year when they were cast as opposing coaches on TUF 23. Jedrzejczyk opted for an in-your-face approach to the reality TV gig, turning in a performance that felt like an extension of the psychological games she has used against opponents in the past.

At times, she crossed the line and went from competitive to ugly. Once, cameras caught her telling the 27-year-old Brazilian challenger to "go [back] to the jungle, where it's your place."

That intensity carried over into fight week. Gadelha said all along that Jedrzejczyk's mind games wouldn't distract her, though UFC president Dana White had to step between the two to avoid a confrontation following Thursday's weigh-in.

Gadelha was all smiles as she jogged to the cage Friday, looking as if she'd waited a long time to get her hands on her nemesis again. She dropped Jedrzejczyk with the first punch she threw in the fight—a stiff left jab that found its mark square on the nose—and from there used takedowns and an oppressive clinch game to seize control of the fight's first act.

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Jedrzejczyk couldn't get Gadelha off of her. The challenger's sticky grappling effectively smothered the champ's vaunted striking attack, and Gedelha constantly peppered her with shots from close range.

In the end, Gadelha landed just four of 13 takedown attempts, according to FightMetric's official statistics, but her wrestling-heavy style allowed her to dictate the action early on.

It was a high-stakes gambit, however, and by the final minute of the first round, Gadelha already looked winded. She just didn't have the conditioning to keep it up for the duration. Meanwhile, Jedrzejczyk didn't appear to slow down much at all.

The champion's speed advantage was apparent from the jump, and once Gadelha lost the energy to constantly bull her into the fence, Jedrzejczyk was able to maintain distance and let her near-peerless kickboxing skills do the work.

Gadelha acquitted herself surprisingly well on her feet, and when she landed them, her strikes appeared to hurt Jedrzejczyk. But her one-off counterpunches were no match for Jedrzejczyk's pinpoint accuracy and high-volume combinations.

After the first two rounds, Jedrzejczyk crafted a sizable advantage in significant strikes—outpacing Gadelha 40-18, 69-11 and 37-11. She also more than doubled Gadelha's overall output during those 15 minutes.

The tipping point came with a little more than a minute on the clock in the third. A visibly fading Gadelha shot for a takedown, but Jedrzejczyk warded it off and came out on top as the fight segued to the ground.

Sensing Gadelha waning, Jedrzejczyk didn't follow her down but instead turned her back and walked to the center of the cage, emphatically waving for the challenger to get back to her feet.

It was a clear sign that things were about to get worse for Gadelha—and they did.

The victory marked Jedrzejczyk's third title defense since she took the belt from inaugural strawweight champ Carla Esparza with a one-sided beatdown last spring.

Coming into this fight, Gadelha was viewed as Jedrzejczyk's biggest threat. Now, the champion may soon face challenges from up-and-coming contenders like Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres and former bantamweight Jessica Andrade.

Jedrzejczyk is young, possesses one of the UFC's coveted individual Reebok sponsorships and has served as a TUF coach; it's clear the fight company recognizes her charisma and modest star potential.

Her style likely won't bring her the popularity of Ronda Rousey or even Paige VanZant, but she figures to remain a favorite among the UFC's most zealous fans for a long time to come.