The unknown face of Joanna Jędrzejczyk – who really is the Polish queen of the UFC?

Joanna recorded a video during preparation, shouting: 'Fuck this sport, I have no more strength. Why am I doing this? I'm killing myself.' Then, as she says, she surrendered it to God and found the strength to get up and finish training. She emphasizes that faith alone is not enough – you also have to do your part every day. But in the worst moments, this act of surrender is crucial. For her, it's part of a larger life philosophy: God gives tools, and we have to use them, not running away from responsibility.

Joanna refers to her own experience from her career: she never waited for everything to be perfect. Even when she felt like 'reheated shit' before a fight, she went out and played her role. Today she translates this into everyday life: she simply acts, doesn't wait for permission. She says she is the smith of her own fate and creates her own present.

Joanna describes in detail the weigh-in moment before the fight with Rose Namajunas: after a murderous weight cut (7 kg in 14 hours) she had to go out and look strong. She says: 'I had to go out and simply play my role.' It wasn't pretending – it was a necessity to keep the word given to fans and the opponent. She behaved similarly at face-offs: she adjusted her crown to be the 'main queen', although inside she felt fear. Today she emphasizes that this ability to step out of roles is the key to balance: you cannot be the CEO at home and drill the children.

Joanna returns to the topic of male and female energy, emphasizing that weak women are often those without their own income, who 'have to stay with their husband'. She talks about guys looking for weaker partners to dominate. She contrasts this with her own principles and her own path: she didn't tolerate cheating, because she had her own livelihood. She believes that money doesn't buy happiness, but provides stabilization and the ability to help loved ones, which is crucial in a crisis.

Repeatedly in interviews she heard that her successes and way of being are 'masculine energy'. Joanna explains that at home she is different – calm, feminine, doesn't dominate her partner. She admits that in the octagon she adopted a combative attitude, but that doesn't mean she is like that all the time. She notices that many women who manage their lives and don't want to be dependent face the same label. She considers it a harmful simplification, and what decides whether someone is feminine is what they do behind closed doors, not their public image.

Joanna after ending her UFC career did not go into commentary, but took up management. She describes how her former managers didn't help in negotiations, didn't care about image, and even shifted responsibility onto her ('go to Dejna, because he likes you more'). That's why now she provides her own fighters with full service: legal, tax, media and psychological. She emphasizes that it's not enough to secure a good contract – you have to show where additional sources of income are (sponsors, collaborations) and prepare for financial management. For her protégés she negotiated sponsorship contracts with Betcick and introduces them to media (e.g. Dzień dobry TVN). Her goal is for fighters not to have to go through the same as she did – being alone in a system that squeezes you out.

Joanna talks about her life choices in the context of love. She admits that after ending a long-term relationship in which cheating occurred, she purposefully does not enter another one for the principle of 'just to be with someone'. She criticizes men who cheat with wedding rings on their fingers, and women who stay in unhappy relationships due to lack of financial means. For her, independence is key: she wants to create with a partner, not be dependent on him. She says that many people accuse her that by choosing a career she gave up a family, but she does not perceive it as a loss – she enjoys the life she has. Her solitude is a space for development, not a lack.