There are few fighters as badass as UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She’s as dominant and more intense than just about any fighter in history, and now we know she’ll step up into a championship-level fight on just hours of notice. When the news broke that bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes fell ill, Joanna Champion’s response was to throw on some gloves and start warming up.
This is a fighter right here. Chael Sonnen would be proud. (Chael also probably contacted Dana White to fight Valentina Shevchenko on short notice.)
Hey @bslater9 so sorry, plans have changed won't be able to make all the meetings on Monday – I will be in NYC doing a victory tour – @ufc … pic.twitter.com/mUNIxkJj7i
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk (@joannamma) July 8, 2017
And Valentina is into it.
.@danawhite @joannamma said she is ready to fight today.
I am ready now 100%!
Let's do it for the title belt in 125 lbs. Today!#UFC213 pic.twitter.com/QQWXiQdgVI— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) July 8, 2017
Of course, Dana White loves it.
The only problem — the Nevada State Athletic Commission won’t let this go down. Here’s what they told FloCombat:
“The UFC did not request a replacement for Nunes and with the time left before the event there would not have been enough time for us to have the necessary medical work done to make one happen. For example, female fighters have pregnancy tests done 10 days before the fight. That’s in our rules and required. That hasn’t been done for Joanna Jedrzejczyk for this event.
Damn. If Joanna had been allowed to fight Shevchenko on just hours of notice, she’d go from one of the best fighters in the world to legend status immediately. Can’t she just take a pregnancy test?
(Via FloCombat)
