Joanna Jedrzejczyk ready to give 'IV, steroids, USADA book' to Claudia Gadelha as pre-fight gift

UFC women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk has been busy recently. In addition to touring the country and visiting top MMA gyms along the way, she recently completed filming of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 23. She'll be one coach and her nemesis, Claudia Gadelha, will be the other.

While the filming lead to some tense moments (more on that in a moment), Jedrzejczyk has very few reasons not to smile these days.

"It was nice," the champion said of the filming of TUF for Fox Sports 1 on Monday during an appearance on The MMA Hour. "Very good experience. I'm very happy about that I was part of. I used to do the same reality show in Poland. Little bit different. Small production, but was more for TV, for people to sell it, but TUF is known. People bring emotions, situations and this what I like about it. I cannot wait when I'm going to watch it on FS1.

"But the most important fight is going to be July 8," Jedrzejczyk noted. "That's all. It's going to be better than that one."

That's the scheduled date of the finale for season 23 of TUF where Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha will meet again. The pair first fought December of 2014 in the UFC where the Brazilian dropped a split-decision loss.

Both fighters appear to be at each other's throat, so much so that a brawl ensued on the last day of the show, but one that cameras didn't capture.

"It was nice, you know?," Jedrzejczyk joked about having to be around her rival. "Of course, last day I had enough. Claudia, she just talk too much. It was enough. She didn't get into my head. I was the adult and she was the kid. I was just...I got enough," she continued. "So I say a few words to her. I did some things. That's all. The rest I'm going to do in Vegas July 8."

"We could hang out together, but she doesn't like me," the champion continued. "Because I'm the best. I'm champion. Of course, she's dreaming about, but she knows that she never gonna be a champ."

While Jedrzejczyk appears intently focused on upcoming showdown opposite Gadelha, she's also dreaming big. Namely, becoming the first woman to win titles in two different weight classes in the UFC. Unless she goes to bantamweight, however, that won't happen. That's why the Polish star is lobbying for a women's flyweight division.

"I hope that we're going to have 125 weight division in the future. I gonna become first female fighter who's gonna hold two belts," she noted. "I must cut lots of weight. Isn't nice, but it's part of my job and I can make it very easy. But, of course, it could be more easy, more interesting to fight at 125."

That attitude of pushing limits and being a ferocious competitor is what has drawn fans to her. Read any forum or check the comments on any post and one will find a sea of positivity for Jedrzejczyk. When asked to identify where it comes from, she claims it's just from being genuine, day in and day out.

"The Diaz brothers, they're always the same, you know? I'm trying to be the same," she claimed. "After the press conference, people say everyone start act like Conor. Isn't true. I've been doing the same things before the fight with Carla, before I got into the UFC.

"When i must be mean, I'm mean. When I can be nice, I am nice. It's my business. Fighting, it's my business. It's my job. I cannot let my opponents get into my head. I must show to them that I am tough, too. And they can't BEEP with me [laughs]."

Her growing fame and fortune aside, however, the task at hand is July 8. From the outside looking in, Jedrzejczyk appears to be chomping at the bit. Where once she claimed she wasn't all the eager to get back to fighting, she now recants those statements completely.

"I cannot wait. I was lying," she said. "If not broken hand, I could fight, like, March. It's horrible. I did TUF and I'm very happy. I took my time. I'm back to training. I was back to training at the end of December.

"I will try to be as much cold as I can be in this fight. I gonna be very cold," she claimed. "I gonna be real fighter. That's all. But after the fight I hope everything gonna be clear, fair play, respect and that's all."

When asked about what pre-fight gift she'll give Gadelha this time - a ritual fans of Jedrzejczyk fans have come to love - the Polish champion didn't mince words.

"IV, steroids, USADA book."

So does this mean she believes her Brazilian foe is or has been cheating?

"I don't know. It's her problem. I know that so many fighters got smaller after USADA came into UFC. She called me fat, but I'm happy. When I put on weight, I'm happy and my fiance is happy, too."

For Jedrzejczyk, it doesn't really matter. She's on a rocket ship to the stars, attracting fans and making friends across the industry. Whatever Gadelha will bring in July, Jedrzejczyk seems unconcerned. More than that, she appears outright confident that Gadelha's day for comeuppance is likely at hand.

"People, they use steroids and they feel like heroes, like they are the strongest people, but it isn't true."