Claudia Gadelha relishes another shot at Joanna Jedrzejczyk in “TUF” 23 Finale
Top-ranked UFC women’s strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha was quick to answer whether it is more important to become champion or defeat bitter rival Joanna Jedrzejczyk when they fight for the belt Friday at the MGM Grand Garden.
“Both,” Gadelha said.
Considering the level of hostility between the world’s two best 115-pound female fighters, the answer is not surprising.
The rivalry stems back to their first meeting, a split-decision victory by Jedrzejczyk in December 2014. Both fighters have been extremely vocal in their belief they won the fight, and their personalities often have clashed as they have been linked ever since.
Jedrzejczyk won the belt in her next fight and has become a star, but Gadelha has been hot on her heels. Their rivalry came to a boil when they served as opposing coaches on the most recent season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Now they will meet in the main event of the “TUF” 23 Finale card, which includes season title bouts for the light heavyweight and women’s strawweight tournaments.
“I’m very motivated, not only because I’m fighting for the title but because I’m fighting her, something that I wanted to do,” Gadelha said. “I wanted to have that opportunity to fight her again, because I watched that first fight too many times and I don’t see how the judges gave the fight to her. That really motivates me. It’s the only loss that I have on my record right now, and I want to make sure that I’m going to clear what happened that day.”
Jedrzejczyk, who came across as a bully at times on the show in her interactions with Gadelha, said the animosity has helped fuel her training camp.
“We like someone or we don’t like someone,” the champion said. “Definitely I don’t like Claudia, but I respect her so much as my future opponent. I feel like it’s extra motivation to fight, and that’s all.”
One of her other major motivations is to be done talking about Gadelha, who she says is her only opponent with whom things have been so vitriolic.
“You could see that I didn’t have problems with my other opponents. I’m having the problem just with Claudia,” Jedrzejczyk said. “So that’s why this fight is going to be really big, because I want to show to all of you that I’m the greatest fighter. I cannot hear Claudia anymore that she won the first fight and, ‘Blah, blah, blah, blah.’
“I’m going to show and prove to her and all of the people that I’m simply the best and that I clearly won the first fight, and this is what’s going to happen. That’s all.”
The card includes Las Vegan Khalil Rountree fighting for the Season 23 light heavyweight tournament title against Andrew Sanchez. Rountree was eliminated in the quarterfinals, but stepped in as a replacement for his injured friend and teammate at Syndicate MMA, Corey Hendricks.
Rountree took advantage of the second chance and will look to continue his run of success in the finals.
Also, Amanda Cooper will fight Tatiana Suarez for the women’s strawweight season title.
Former Bellator lightweight champ Will Brooks will make his UFC debut against Ross Pearson on a main card that airs on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m. The preliminary card also airs on the network at 5.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
