UPDATE (5:30 p.m. ET): Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Valentina Shevchenko confirmed their mutual interest in fighting each other Saturday night at UFC 213 in Las Vegas, but there apparently isn’t time for the Nevada State Athletic Commission to sanction the bout.
ORIGINAL STORY: Joanna Jedrzejczyk might be the most feared women’s fighter in the UFC. And she evidently fears no woman in the octagon.
After word that Amanda Nunes had pulled out of the UFC 213 main event leaked Saturday, TMZ reported Jedrzejczyk told the UFC that she would fight Valentina Shevchenko on just a few hours’ notice as a replacement for Nunes.
What makes the request even more amazing is that Jedrzejczyk, the UFC women’s strawweight champion, would give up 20 pounds to Shevchenko, the top-ranked bantamweight contender. But Jedrzejczyk has never lost in 14 professional fights and reportedly felt comfortable with the weight disparity, even though the UFC did not.
TMZ reported the UFC believes Jedrzejczyk is “totally baller for asking” to fight Shevchenko but won’t allow it. Which is too bad because the striking in a Jedrzejczyk-Shevchenko fight would be unreal.
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
