"There were people who were creating this drama"- Joanna Jedrzejczyk offers rare insight on her role in the "bully" image before fights

Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk recently addressed her controversial pre-fight image in an interview with Miesha Tate.

Known for her intense stare-downs and fiery persona, Jędrzejczyk revealed that her so-called "bully" behavior was often a product of external influences rather than her true self:

“I want people to know [me] more. Because what they see, they see me only getting knocked out, being like bully before the fight. I was like yeah some people get it as in bully, but I was not bully you know, like there were people who were creating this drama. And of course, I was the one who's executing this you know, and I feel ashamed sometimes, but it wasn't me.”

Jędrzejczyk, regarded as one of the greatest strawweight fighters in UFC history, defended her title five times and achieved eight consecutive victories at her peak. Despite her dominant run and larger-than-life presence, she admitted that her public portrayal doesn’t fully reflect her personality.

Check out Joanna Jedrzejczyk's comments below (35:16):

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When Joanna Jedrzejczyk opened up on her decision to retire from MMA

Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s journey began with her UFC debut in July 2014, which she considers her most defining moment. Two fights later, she claimed the strawweight title by defeating Carla Esparza, beginning a dominant reign that placed her on historic cards like UFC 193 and 205.

Though she surrendered her belt to Rose Namajunas and retired after a loss to Zhang Weili in 2022, Jedrzejczyk continues to inspire through ventures such as her foundation, cookbook, and racing ambitions.

Speaking of her decision to retire, the Polish fighter said:

"I retired because I didn't want to ruin my legacy. I have people like [Jose] Aldo and Conor [McGregor]—there's so many of them—and when they lose, I feel so bad. I don't want to do this to my friends, my fans, because I want them to remember me as the greatest." [H/T: Bleacher Report]