[crowd chatter]
[crowd singing]
>> Jan Blachowicz sending me message.
He wants me to bring this belt back home to Poland,
and I will do that, Jan, no?
[bell dings]
>> Brian: How many interviews you got today?
>> Joanna: Only 9.
>> And then right to Vegas?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, we're all set.
>> Okay, here we go. Three, two, one.
The greatest strawweight fighter in UFC history is back.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
>> Joanna: I'm here, happy and ready to rock and roll,
take over the world again.
I always wanted to face the best, and I am facing the best.
She's my next big challenge.
She throws loopy, crispy, very powerful punches.
So, I will have to be very smart in this fight.
It's been awhile!
>> Hey, how are you?
>> Good.
>> The champ is here.
>> Ebro in the Morning, beautiful Laura Stylez,
Rosenberg, and give it up for Joanna Champion,
also known as Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
>> Joanna: That was good. >> Jedrzejczyk.
>> Hey, respect, man.
I told you you were going to catch it
at the end of the week, you know.
After a week, I bet.
>> Ebro: I kept trying. I kept trying.
>> What do you think about the headline,
there was an article in Heavy this week.
"Joanna's legacy is on the line at UFC 248."
Do you believe that your legacy could be on the line.
>> This victory on Saturday is going to test and it's
going to be worth more than all of my victories, you know.
I was 6 times World Muay Thai champion,
5 times European Muay Thai champion.
I held the UFC strawweight belt.
I'm the winner already.
Step in the octagon, I'm the winner already.
I cement my legacy.
Hi, guys.
>> How do you feel about her entire rise
where the title progression--
>> Joanna: Yeah, she made it to the top.
No, she made it.
She surprised the world
in the fight with Jessica Andrade in August.
It's her first title defense
and she has to face me on Saturday and I feel like she--
I don't wanna take anything from her
because I respect her so much.
She's very dangerous fighter,
but she hasn't faced someone like me.
Face-off? Come on, let's face off.
>> Yeah.
That was super intimidating.
I didn't even like doing it.
I didn't even like pretending.
>> I appreciate you; One more time.
>> You too, thank you so much.
[ambient traffic noise]
[unintelligible]
>> Israel: Oh, yeah, with your season.
Was your season on the air?
There he is. There he is.
Did you sign it? >> Yeah, here.
[laughing]
>> Do that.
He does it.
>> It's cringy.
>> I see.
[laughing]
>> That's cold. Look at that.
Look at that.
Oh, I remember watching TUF from 2005,
if I remember, on Sky One, way back in the day.
I remember watching
the Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar fight.
I watched this. I watched this. I watched this.
Nice, quiet work space.
First official workout in Vegas.
Get some serious work done now.
Serious work.
Mm, smells like winning.
>> Kai: Being here is so inspiring just watching Israel
and seeing, you know, the lead up,
the journey to get to UFC Fight Week here in Vegas.
We're coming off UFC Auckland.
Me, Brad, and Dan defended our homeland and we're just
gonna continue with that momentum here in Las Vegas.
[radio playing]
>> Eugene: People need to understand, like,
when you see your teammates deliver like that,
it pushes you, like, mentally and physically,
to wanna achieve the same as what they've done,
so, we're just gonna bank that and continue it into UFC 248.
♪♪
>> Yeah, today was a good day.
Cheers. Let's go!
♪♪
[ambient traffic noise]
[crowd chatter]
>> Take the tour.
>> Hat. >> Hat.
>> Hat. >> Hand.
Hat, hand.
I like these gloves.
Boom.
Very power.
Dangerous.
>> China strong.
>> You have one of the top 5 fastest knockouts
in UFC history.
How quickly will it take you to knock her out
on Saturday night?
>> Hi. >> How are you?
>> Good. >> Hello.
Hello. Hello. Hello.
>> Oh, ni hao.
>> Weili:
>> What's up, guys?
You good?
You good, because I'm feeling great.
It's Fight Week.
[crowd chatter]
>> How about your gloves. Do you wanna try your gloves on?
>> Very good.
Gosh, I wanna talk to you guys.
I have very good energy, you know.
I was tired yesterday.
I had 9 interviews in New York.
Long flight from New York to Vegas
and I was already really tired, but I woke up refreshed.
Hit some training in the morning,
one more in the evening.
We did great. Great. And new.
It's good.
>> It's been over 16 months since I've had a fight week,
so just being here, being in the atmosphere,
being here for Fight Week,
just kinda super anxious to get in there and do what I do.
The time off actually helped me in some strange way.
It really allowed my coach and I to sit down
and address some weaknesses and flaws
that we wouldn't have time to address otherwise,
so, though I wasn't looking for the time off,
I think it actually benefited me a little bit.
>> Li:
>> Good, just do one looking at my fist.
Crossing.
>> How quickly in this matchup started at?
>> Israel: It's up to him.
I visualize the sequence of how I finish him
in so many different ways.
I could just be driving, I could be present, I'll be lucid,
but in my head, I'm pounding Yoel Romero in the face.
And I know that he's not gonna be pushing me the whole time.
He's gonna be waiting there, gassing,
and then explode, explode.
Then push a little bit, then relax, relax.
And for me, I'm gonna scramble him up top
before I scramble everything outside.
>> Yoel:
[laughing]
>> Yoel:
>> Two, three.
[roaring]
[theme music]
♪♪