Dan Hardy Column: Joanna Jedrzejczyk Faces Jessica Penne In First Female Main Event
By Dan Hardy, TheIndependent.com
The Octagon has touched down in the beautiful city of Berlin as the UFC prepares for another European Fight Night. Athletes and corner teams are arriving from all around the globe, representing countries such as Japan, Australia, the USA and a multitude of European MMA hotspots.
For the first time in the history of UFC events held in Europe, we will have a female champion defending her belt in the main event, as Joanna Jedrzejczyk faces Californian challenger, Jessica Penne.
After beating former champion and Ultimate Fighter 20 winner, Carla Esparza, Jedrzejczyk brought a UFC title belt back to Poland for the first time. She looked very impressive in the process, shutting Esparza’s wrestling down and punishing her with elbows and knees. Using her reach advantage she was able to keep Carla on the fence and pick her off, slowly increasing the pressure as her opponent began to fade, eventually prompting the referee to step in and save her. This time she will not enjoy so much of a reach advantage, with Penne being of a similar height and using her reach well with long straight punches.