Joanna Jedrzejczyk challenges Zhang Weili for the UFC Strawweight Championship this Saturday at UFC 248.
Since the title’s creation in December 2014, Jedrzejczyk is the longest reigning champion. She put together a run of 966 days with the belt from March 2015 to November 2017. After a brief sabbatical in the flyweight division, Jedrzejczyk has returned to strawweight to reclaim what once belonged to her.
Standing in her way is Zhang, who won the title in August from Jessica Andrade in a fight that took place in Shenzhen, China.
Jedrzejczyk spoke with Sports Illustrated about her respect for Zhang, a regrettable social media post that mocked the champ, and her burning desire to regain the title.