Gadelha (13-2) largely controlled the first two rounds with takedowns and timely strikes, but Jedrzejczyk decisively rallied with her superior striking and remarkable conditioning.
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Tatiana Suarez on winning The Ultimate Fighter: “This is what I said I was going to do”.
Jedrzejczyk then landed a slick one-two as she really started to assert her dominance.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk figured she had lost the first two rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, and the champion knew she needed to let it rip. Irish featherweight champion Conor McGregor could be seen loudly cheering on Poland’s Jedrzejczyk throughout her five-round scrap with Gadelha on Friday night. For the final three rounds, Jedrzejczyk swarmed all over Claudia Gadelha with flurries of kicks, waves of elbows and innumerable precise punches. Jedrzejczyk showed it by offering her glove to be touched by Claudia, who reluctantly obliged.
Suarez, a cancer survivor from Fontana, California, looked intimidating in her first-round submission victory, pounding Amanda Cooper on the ground before locking in a D’Arce choke late in the first round.
Elsewhere on the card, former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks squeezed past England’s Ross Pearson by a single point on all three judges scorecards in his promotional debut, Andrew Sanchez beat Khalil Rountree to become the light-heavyweight victor of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, and Tatiana Suarez secured victory in the women’s strawweight bracket by submitting Amanda Cooper.
The other most-anticipated fight on Friday’s show was the UFC debut of former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks, who trains with American Top Team in Coconut Creek. Pearson outstruck Brooks, particularly in a third-round rally, but the rookie relied on his wrestling in crucial moments.
“Eddie Alvarez, hold on to that belt a little bit”, Brooks said to his fellow former Bellator cohort.
“I was fighting the fight to win and in the third round I felt my arms begin to get tight”, a disappointed Gadelha said.
In the very next fight, “The Korean Superboy” added to him impressive run inside the Octagon, driving home a powerful right that floored veteran Thiago Tavares and essentially ended the bout.
Coming off a dominant decision win over Valrie Letourneau at UFC 193 in Melbourne a year ago, Jedrzejczyk will now be eager to close the chapter in her life involving bitter rival Claudia Gadelha. “I said after our first fight, she’s No. 1 and I am champion”. The main card airs live on FS1. Claudia Gadelha can earn Brazil a belt back tonight at the same building in the main event of “The Ultimate Fighter” 23 finale against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Who will walk away with the title?
Gadelha came right out of the gate firing, dropping Jedrzejczyk with a short left hook and a quick takedown. She was even knocked down twice, though both appeared to be caused more by momentum and balance, rather than Gadelha’s power.
The Ultimate Fighter finale will be decided Friday at 07:00 p.m. between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha.
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The two built up a more contentious rivalry this time around by squaring off as coaches on “TUF”. “Like I said, I grew up in the BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) philosophy and always to respect my opponents and their coaches”.
