Four Years ago a young Polish woman by the name of Karolina Kowalkiewicz walked into a local Thrift Shop. With the equivalent of a dollar in hand, she bought herself a pair of shorts for her upcoming professional Mixed Martial Arts debut. Fast forward four years and this young woman is challenging for the UFC Women’s Straweight Championship at the biggest event in Mixed Martial Arts history on the grandest stage of them all, Madison Square Garden.
Karolina was no stranger to the martial arts world. Having started in the Israeli Martial Art of ‘Krav Maga’ at the age of sixteen, Karolina then transitioned into Muay Thai and MMA. It only took two amateur MMA bouts before she was approached and offered a professional Mixed Martial Arts contract. Karolina Kowalkiewicz made her Professional Mixed Martial Arts debut in 2012. Fighting for Polish based MMA promotion, Extreme Fighting Sports. Karolina scored an impressive first round TKO victory on debut.
After an impressive debut in Extreme Fighting Sports, Karolina would complete brief stints in fellow Polish based promotion, KSW and American Mixed Martial Arts promotion, Invicta FC. Becoming the KSW Strawweight Champion in the process.
With the continued success on the regional scene and an undefeated record of 7-0, Karolina would soon get the call up to fight in the UFC. Her UFC debut would prove to be anything but a tune up fight, as she was immediately slated against Number 7 ranked Strawweight and Ultimate Fighter standout, Randa Markoz. Karolina would go on to defeat Randa Markoz by unanimous decision. Showing no signs of octagon jitters, a solid Muay Thai Arsenal and an improved clinch game that saw Karolina out grapple one of the Strawweight divisions premier grapplers.
img_7487
Karolina would then go on to defeat a tough opponent in Heather Jo Clarke before picking up her most recent win, a high profile Split Decision victory over ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas. ‘Thug Rose’ was universally regarded as the unofficial Number 1 Contender at the time. An upset win would propel Karolina to Number 1 Contender status and set up an All Polish affair with UFC Strawweight Champion, Joanna Jędrzejczyk on the biggest stage in MMA history.
A humble, relaxed and often soft spoken individual, Karolina Kowalkiewicz has shown no sign of fear or nervousness in her previous UFC encounters. With a pre fight ritual that involves leaning on the Polish flag while sporting a signature smile that turns into a blank stare at her opponent during fighter introductions, Karolina is equally fierce as she is in endearing.
img_7488
Throughout her Mixed Martial Arts career, her demeanour has never changed. Even with the impending challenge of fighting for a World Title against a physiological master in UFC Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Karolina has seemed relatively unfazed by the champions mind games and trash talk. A pre fight game plan that Joanna has successfully implemented in many of her previous title defences. The champion has found herself talking opponents out of past contests before they had ever begun, but against Karolina it appears the mind games have been to no avail.
Having fought each other in the amateurs in 2012, an occasion in which Joanna Jędrzejczyk defeated Karolina by submission. This fight will not only act as a shot at a UFC Title, but it will act as a shot at redemption for Karolina. This fight is more than just a title fight. It is a battle for Polish bragging rights, the right to call herself the “Baddest Woman in Poland” and cement her name as ‘The Polish Princess’.