UFC 217: Joanna Jedrzejczyk-Rose Namajunas gives MSG card its third championship fight
Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacts at the end of her women's strawweight title mixed martial arts bout against Karolina Kowalkiewicz during a at UFC 205, early Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jedrzejczyk won by decision. Credit: AP / Julio Cortez
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is coming back to New York.
The UFC strawweight champion will return to Madison Square Garden this November to defend her title against Rose Namajunas at UFC 217, the promotion announced Tuesday.
Jedrzejczyk continues to cement her place as one of MMA’s most technical and dominant fighters, remaining unbeaten while tearing through the 115-pound division. The Polish fighter last competed in May, defeating Jessica Andrade via unanimous decision. Before that, she beat fellow Polish strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a decision at UFC 205—the UFC’s New York debut last year at MSG.
The unbeaten Jedrzejczyk is going for her sixth consecutive title defense, which would tie Ronda Rousey for most successful defenses by a woman since the UFC added its first women’s division in 2013.
Namajunas will fight with a belt on the line for the second time in her UFC career. “Thug Rose” competed for the inaugural title after reaching the final on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but lost to Carla Esparza in December 2014. Jedrzejczyk took the belt from Esparza in March 2015 and hasn’t given it up.
The fight is the third title bout scheduled for the UFC’s second visit to Madison Square Garden. Former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will make his return in a middleweight title bout against champion Michael Bisping. Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt also is expected to defend his belt against former champion T.J. Dillashaw.
