Joanna Jędrzejczyk, the longtime UFC strawweight champion, was removed from the UFC rankings on Tuesday due to inactivity.
Jędrzejczyk has held a top-three spot in the rankings ever since she lost the title. However, she has not fought since March of 2020 where she suffered a split decision loss to Weili Zhang for the belt at UFC 248. Since then, she has made it clear she only wanted a title shot, which she didn’t get and she has now been removed from the rankings.
Although many fighters hold their spot in the rankings dearly, Joanna Jędrzejczyk took to Instagram to react to the news and she didn’t seem bothered by it.
“@mickmaynard this one was special for you this morning. Be prepare for strong (read hard) negotiations. Love ya Mick. Out of the rankings till my big comeback,” Jędrzejczyk wrote.
Jędrzejczyk also added another story where she made it clear she doesn’t care about the rankings as rankings don’t fight.
“Guys! Please do not care about the rankings. Rankings don’t compete. I’ll be back soon… promise. What’s meant to be will always find its way. Always, love y’all,” the former champion added.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk (16-4), as mentioned, hasn’t fought since her Fight of the Year contender against Zhang. The 34-year-old is just 2-4 in her last six but she remains one of the best strawweights, as she only lost to Rose Namajuna twice, Zhang Weili, and Valentina Shevchenko up at flyweight for the belt. In her career, she holds notable wins over Jéssica Andrade, Michelle Waterson, Claudia Gadelha, Jessica Penne, and Tecia Torres among others.
When and who Jędrzejczyk will fight next is uncertain. But, the good news for many MMA fans is the Pole is plotting a comeback early next year. She has hinted at a March return and has options for her next fight.
Who would you like to see Joanna Jędrzejczyk fight in her return?
