UFC 212's Claudia Gadelha holds off on title thoughts, Joanna Jedrzejczyk rematch – for now

RIO DE JANEIRO – Claudia Gadelha has learned many things about her own body since a title loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at last July’s The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.

As she prepares to face Karolina Kowalkiewicz at Saturday’s UFC 212, her second outing since moving camp from her longtime Nova Uniao home in Brazil to the U.S., Gadelha feels like a new fighter. She is healthier, her weight cuts are easier, even her flexibility has improved.

And while the advanced training and recovery facilities have helped, Gadelha believes the game-changer was learning how to give her body some rest – a newly acquired habit she still has a tough time with.

“I know it’s the right thing to do, but my mindset is still kind of shifting,” Gadelha told MMAjunkie ahead of the pay-per-view main card strawweight bout, which takes place at Jeneusse Arena. “I don’t know if I have to go or not, and I need coaches with me telling me, ‘Claudia, stop.’ For this camp, I had coach (Chris) Luttrell with me the whole time, and four weeks to the fight he was like, ‘Claudia, you’re going to over-train. You’re right there, you’re peaking, calm down.’ I didn’t know what to do, I just wanted to do more.

“I’m Brazilian. I had a tough life here in Brazil. I became a fighter working very hard. Everything I did in my life was very hard. That’s my mindset. But that’s not the right thing to do when you get to the highest level. And it’s so hard for me to understand that. It was hard; it’s still hard. But I’m learning. I’m taking days off, and I feel like, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ I know it is, but my mind is still telling me that I have to push harder.”

No longer “killing” her body, Gadelha believes she is progressively finding her balance. And her decision to switch things up after the failed title bid has shown some positive results already, with a decision victory over Cortney Casey at last November’s UFC Fight Night 100.

Gadelha (14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) feels the departure from the beaten-down version of herself that walked into the octagon to face Jedrzejczyk (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) last year. And, should she manage to get a streak going at the expense of the gritty Kowalkiewicz (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a case for a new title shot would certainly gain steam.

However, at least for the time being, that’s a thought that Gadelha herself prefers to keep on the back-burner.

“I’m concentrated on becoming a better fighter now,” Gadelha said. “I’m still adjusting my body and my mind to this new camp, to this new part of my life. Don’t get me wrong: I’m still getting ready for Joanna. That’s what I think about every day, that’s what motivates me. But I think it’s my job and my challenge to show people that I can beat her.

“My goal is for sure to beat Joanna, but Karolina is in front of me right now and she’s my goal right now. I’m always thinking about fighting for the title later on, but not now.”

As for the task at hand, she’s confident. While Gadelha expects a tougher Kowalkiewicz than the one who was last seen in the octagon being handed her first loss by Jedrzejczyk, she simply sees herself as the superior fighter in Saturday’s matchup.

“Karolina is a tough fighter,” Gadelha said. “A lot of people underestimate her, but I don’t. I know she’s tough. I know she’s going to try to kill me for three rounds. I’m ready for that. And she’s a fighter that wants to put pressure on you, but I think I do this game better than her. I’m a pressure fighter.

“And I’m the best pressure fighter in the division. When it comes to that pressure, I do better than her. And that’s the whole point about her game. She’s good on her feet, but she gives a lot of opportunities to somebody like me to take advantage of.”

Watch the video above to hear more from Gadelha.

And for more on UFC 212, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.