UFC
Joanna Jedrzejczyk thinks Claudia Gadelha rematch is imminent, says she's "going to win easy this time"
Jul 6, 2015 - 12:20:38 PM Joanna Jedrzejczyk thinks Claudia Gadelha rematch is imminent, says she's "going to win easy this time"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Current UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeated Claudia Gadelha last December to earn her initial shot against Carla Esparza. The victory was a bit contentious, coming by split decision, and Jedrzejczyk isn't quite satisfied with how that fight played out.

The Polish buzz-saw has put forth two fantastic and decisive performances with the title on the line, and with Gadelha set to potentially earn a shot at a rematch, Jedrzejczyk wants to prove she can do the same to the Brazilian.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour last week, Jedrzejczyk said she thinks Gadelha will beat Jessica Aguilar at UFC 190, and thinks she'll take her out convincingly when they meet again.

"I think Claudia is going to win," Jedrzejczyk said. "I would like that... I'm a different fighter right now [from the first fight with her]. Claudia Gadelha, she takes a few steps back. She hasn't fought for a long time. I'm different now, I'm going to win easy this time. I"m better. Now I know I have KO power, my wrestling is different, getting better and better. I really can play on the ground even better than before."

Penick's Analysis: Jedrzejczyk has a different confidence about her than she did at the outset of her UFC run. Where she was in the mode of proving herself initially, she's turned the corner to full blown belief in herself as the best. There's definitely something about that type of confidence that can elevate a competitor even further, and Jedrzejczyk's shown that she's a special talent thus far. Gadelha's a great fighter in her own right, and if she beats Aguilar, that rematch will be excellent, but Jedrzejczyk is definitely on her own level at the moment.