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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Jessica Penne gets the first crack at new UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk next month. The choice of challenger came as a bit of a surprise, even to the 32-year-old former Invicta Champ herself.
Though she won her debut at the TUF 20 Finale in December, she thought she'd have needed another win this summer to get a title shot.
"I was pretty stoked to get that call to be honest," Penne said in an interview with Duane Finley at BleacherReport.com. "I was kind of caught off guard. I got the phone call, but it really didn't settle in until yesterday when I woke up and my phone was exploding with messages and notifications. I figured maybe after fighting in Brazil and getting a win over Juliana that a title shot would maybe be the next logical step, but you never know. You never really know how these things are decided. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised and excited to get the title shot."
As for the matchup itself, while Jedrzejczyk destroyed Carla Esparza to take the belt, Penne doesn't see that as a typical performance. Because of that, she believes she's got ways to take advantage of the Champion, and thinks she'll ultimately win that fight.
"I feel like a lot of people are really hyped out because of Joanna and Carla's [Esparza] fight and I think they are a little bit distracted by the results of it and how it went," Penne said. "I've looked at her other fights and they haven't been like that. I definitely see where I can capitalize and I see myself getting a submission win. I'm really looking forward to the challenge. She's a very tough fighter. She definitely belongs in the spot that she's in, but I believe I have the tools to beat her.
"Becoming a UFC champion would be absolutely amazing. I'm in this sport because I believe I'm the best and I'm going to go out there and prove it. The ultimate goal in every fighter's career is to be No. 1 and to hold that belt. I'm ecstatic and excited for this opportunity. It's just beyond my dreams."
The fight will headline UFC Fight Night 69 in Berlin, Germany, on June 20, airing live on UFC Fight Pass.
Penick's Analysis: Penne is a very good fighter, but she's not that far removed from a submission loss to Michelle Waterson that cost her the last title she held. Jedrzejczyk isn't really a submission threat, but she's hard to get to the ground, as Esparza found out the hard way in March. That said, Penne's got more striking skills than Esparza, and could be more competitive on the feet than the former Champ was able to be. That said, the ground is where she wants to bring this fight, as that's where she'll have an edge in her own submission game. Of course, if Penne can't get Jedrzejczyk down, that's a non-starter, just as it was for Esparza.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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