S1E70: Joanna Jedrzejczyk: MMA is beautiful but brutal

Hard Tackle

How high-level women's MMA and the respect for women in sport is growing globally.

Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second
Wednesday of the month.

Regarded by many as the greatest female strawweight mixed martial arts athlete of all time, Joanna Jedrzejczyk has given fans a number of memorable moments inside the octagon.

The former long-time UFC Women’s Strawweight division champion is one of the most popular and successful fighters in the history of the company.

She ended her esteemed combat sports career in June 2022 when she announced her retirement following a knockout loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 275.

Ahead of UFC’s return to Singapore on Aug 26, the Polish fighter joined ST's Deepanraj Ganesan and Sazali Abdul Aziz to talk about her love for the sport, what led to her retirement and if she would ever return to the octagon.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:40 What to look forward to at UFC Fight Night Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Aug 26

10:00 What is the current status of women’s MMA and where does Jedrzejczyk see it heading

12:40 On deciding to retire from the sport

16:40 Has Jedrzejczyk thought of a possible return to the ring?

20:15 What more can be done to increase the respect for women in sport?

Read more: https://str.sg/i55G

Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan ([e-mail]), Ernest Luis, Paxton Pang & Eden Soh

Edited by: Eden Soh

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Hoofdstukken

1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk: MMA is beautiful but brutal (00:00:00)

2. What to look forward to at UFC Singapore (00:02:40)

3. What is the current status of women’s MMA (00:10:00)

4. On deciding to retire from the sport (00:12:40)

5. Has Jedrzejczyk thought of a possible return? (00:16:40)

6. Increasing the respect for women in sport (00:20:15)