Efter att nyligen ha valt att lämna MMA bakom sig så förklarar nu Joanna Jedrzejczyk hur tankarna gick i samband med beslutet att pensionera sig.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk ville pensionera sig på sina villkor
Tidigare under sommaren så valde Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-5) att lämna MMA bakom sig i samband med att hon erfarit en förlust mot Weili Zhang (22-3). Nu berättar Jedrzejczyk att hon tog beslutet i samband med förlusten då hon vill lämna sporten på sina egna villkor.
Under en intervju med MMA Fighting berättar Jedrzejczyk att hon hade all intention att vinna matchen mot Zhang men att hon även hade tankar på pension om matchen skulle sluta i förlust.
I’m not going to lie — I was going to win. I was in my best shape ever but like I said so many weeks before the fight and even a few days before the fight during media that anything can happen and it happened. It happened to me that I went down. But before the fight, like during the camp, I had this moment that I was thinking about it. I was thinking about if something happened, I would retire and it happened. But of course, I was ready and motivated to win the fight and continue doing this. I just signed a new deal with the UFC, good money, good exposure and everything but it happened. It just happened. It was momentum because of what happened in the fight. If I lost on points, I could sit and think about it but I don’t want to waste my health. That’s the thing. That was the main thing. I don’t want to keep on losing myself because of what I am doing.
Var besluten sedan tidigare
Jedrzejczyk berättade även att hon sedan tidigare varit fast besluten om att en eventuell pension skulle ske innan karriären fortsatte för länge.
I always wanted to retire on my rules and I don’t want to be this gatekeeper. I don’t want to be this legend who is going to fight forever and forever and get beat up. That’s the thing. I accept where I am at, what my age is. The craziest thing about it is it was the best camp of my life. I was in the best shape ever. Stronger physically, mentally than before. That’s the craziest thing because I’m still having so much love for this sport and I don’t want to leave but somehow I have to take care of myself. We pick this sport, I chose to be a fighter and we have to pay the price. Sometimes you have to be smart enough to say enough to protect yourself for the future. That’s the thing. It’s hard. I’m still digesting my decision, and it isn’t easy, but somehow I’m happy.
Har tänkt på hälsan
En aspekt som Jedrzejczyk har haft i tankarna sedan förlusten är även hälsan, vilket Jedrzejczyk menar är någonting som hon, till skillnad från pengar, inte kan få tillbaka på andra vägar.
It was surprising what happened. To me and to all of us, but like I said, there is the other side of this sport who fighters know only about. It’s the health side. That’s the thing. I don’t want to cross this line in my life and have these concussions or these health issues. I can make more money. I can get more exposure, but I can’t buy health. I will not be able to buy extra health in the game, extra life. That’s the thing. I can’t go easy. If I go, I go 100 percent. It’s just scary as hell. We can get all this damage.
Jedrzejczyks sista match som professionell MMA-fighter ägde rum under UFC 275 den 12:e juni.
