Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Last updated
Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Karolina Kowalkiewicz wazenie KSW 30.jpg
Born (1985-10-15) October 15, 1985 (age 38)
Łódź, Poland
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Weight116 lb (53 kg; 8 st 4 lb)
Division Strawweight (2014–present)
Flyweight (2012–2014)
Reach64 in (163 cm) [1]
Fighting out ofŁódź, Poland
TeamShark Top Team Łódź
TrainerŁukasz Zaborowski
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total23
Wins16
By knockout1
By submission3
By decision12
Losses7
By knockout1
By submission2
By decision4
Amateur record
Total1
Losses1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (born 15 October 1985) is a Polish mixed martial artist. [2] [3] [4] She currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former KSW Women's Flyweight Champion. As of January 23, 2024, she is #13 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings. [5]

Contents

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Kowalkiewicz began her mixed martial arts career at the age of sixteen when she began training in Krav Maga. She later trained in Muay Thai and decided to make it a career. She fought two amateur fights before turning pro. [6]

Kowalkiewicz made her professional debut in her native Poland in May 2012. Over the next three-and-a-half years she amassed an undefeated record of seven wins against no losses. She fought primarily for the Poland-based KSW promotion - where she was the Flyweight champion - and also made her U.S. debut for Invicta FC in November 2014. [7]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In late October 2015, it was announced that Kowalkiewicz had signed with the UFC. She faced Randa Markos on December 19, 2015 at UFC on FOX 17. [8] She was successful in her debut, winning the fight by unanimous decision. [9]

Kowalkiewicz next faced Heather Jo Clark on May 8, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 87 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. [10] She won the fight via unanimous decision. [11]

Kowalkiewicz defeated Rose Namajunas by split decision on July 30, 2016 at UFC 201 to earn the next title shot at then-champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk. [12] This performance earned her a Fight of the Night bonus. [13]

Kowalkiewicz fought for the Strawweight title and lost to champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk by unanimous decision on November 12, 2016 at UFC 205. [14]

Kowalkiewicz faced Cláudia Gadelha on June 3, 2017 in the co-main event at UFC 212. She lost the fight via submission due to a rear-naked choke in the first round. [15]

Kowalkiewicz faced Jodie Esquibel on October 21, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Till. [16] She won the fight by unanimous decision. [17]

Kowalkiewicz faced Felice Herrig on April 7, 2018 at UFC 223. [18] She won the fight by split decision. [19]

Kowalkiewicz fought Jéssica Andrade on September 8, 2018 at UFC 228. [20] She lost the fight by knockout in the first round. [21]

Kowalkiewicz faced Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN 2 on March 30, 2019. [22] She lost the fight via unanimous decision. [23]

Kowalkiewicz faced Alexa Grasso on June 8, 2019 at UFC 238. [24] She lost the fight via unanimous decision. [25]

Kowalkiewicz faced Yan Xiaonan on February 23, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 168. [26] She lost the fight by unanimous decision. [27]

Kowalkiewicz faced Jessica Penne on August 7, 2021 at UFC 265. [28] She lost the fight via an armbar in round one. [29]

After a one-year hiatus, Kowalkiewicz faced Felice Herrig on June 4, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 207. [30] Kowalkiewicz snapped a 5 bout losing streak, submitting Herrig via rear-naked choke in the second round. [31]

Kowalkiewicz faced Silvana Gómez Juárez on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281. [32] She won the fight via unanimous decision. [33]

Kowalkiewicz faced Vanessa Demopoulos on May 13, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 223. [34] At the weigh-ins, Demopoulos weighed in at 117.5 pounds, one and half pounds over the women's strawweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceed at catchweight and Demopoulos was fined 20 percent of her purse, which went to Kowalkiewicz. [35] Kowalkiewicz won the fight via unanimous decision. [36]

Kowalkiewicz faced Diana Belbiţă at UFC Fight Night 229 on October 7, 2023. [37] She won the fight via unanimous decision. [38]

Kowalkiewicz is scheduled to face Iasmin Lucindo on May 4, 2024 at UFC 301. [39]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Personal life

In 2019, Kowalkiewicz was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. To cope with the symptoms Kowalkiewicz now works with an endocrinologist and has adopted a vegan diet. [41]

In 2020, during the match with Yan Xiaonan she got a severe eye injury in the first round, yet she fought the remaining rounds with the injury. Her injuries were so severe that she couldn’t return home from New Zealand, forced to wear an eye patch and stay for a few days. [42] On Instagram she commented on the injury: “First time in my life after a fight, I cannot say I’m okay. Like you see, at the beginning of the first round, I have broken small bone here. I couldn’t see nothing. My vision was double and everything was like in the fog.” [43] She later had surgery which involved the insertion of a titanium plate in her right eye. [44]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
23 matches16 wins7 losses
By knockout11
By submission32
By decision124
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win16–7 Diana Belbiţă Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green October 7, 202335:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win15–7 Vanessa Demopoulos Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill May 20, 202335:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesCatchweight (117.5 lb) bout; Demopoulos missed weight.
Win14–7 Silvana Gómez Juárez Decision (unanimous) UFC 281 November 12, 202235:00 New York City, New York, United States
Win13–7 Felice Herrig Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik June 4, 202224:01 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss12–7 Jessica Penne Submission (armbar) UFC 265 August 7, 202114:32 Houston, Texas, United States
Loss12–6 Yan Xiaonan Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker February 23, 202035:00 Auckland, New Zealand
Loss12–5 Alexa Grasso Decision (unanimous) UFC 238 June 8, 201935:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss12–4 Michelle Waterson Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje March 30, 201935:00 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Loss12–3 Jéssica Andrade KO (punch) UFC 228 September 8, 201811:58 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win12–2 Felice Herrig Decision (split) UFC 223 April 7, 201835:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win11–2 Jodie Esquibel Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Till October 21, 201735:00 Gdańsk, Poland
Loss10–2 Cláudia Gadelha Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 212 June 3, 201713:03 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss10–1 Joanna Jędrzejczyk Decision (unanimous) UFC 205 November 12, 201655:00 New York City, New York, United StatesFor the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship.
Win10–0 Rose Namajunas Decision (split) UFC 201 July 30, 201635:00 Atlanta, Georgia, United States UFC Women's Strawweight title eliminator. Fight of the Night.
Win9–0 Heather Jo Clark Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski May 8, 201635:00 Rotterdam, Netherlands
Win8–0 Randa Markos Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 December 19, 201535:00 Orlando, Florida, United States
Win7–0 Kalindra Faria Decision (split) KSW 30 February 21, 201535:00 Poznań, PolandNon-title bout. Fight of the Night.
Win6–0 Mizuki Inoue Decision (split) Invicta FC 9: Honchak vs. Hashi November 1, 201435:00 Davenport, Iowa, United StatesStrawweight debut. Fight of the Night.
Win5–0 Jasminka Cive Submission (armbar) KSW 27 May 17, 201413:53 Gdańsk, PolandDefended the KSW Flyweight Championship.
Win4–0 Simona Soukupova Decision (unanimous) KSW 24 September 28, 201335:00 Łódź, PolandCatchweight (119 lb) bout.
Win3–0Marta ChojnoskaSubmission (rear-naked choke) KSW 23 June 8, 201311:11 Gdańsk, PolandWon the vacant KSW Flyweight Championship.
Win2–0Paulina BońkowskaDecision (unanimous) KSW 21 December 1, 201235:00 Warsaw, PolandFlyweight debut.
Win1–0Marzena WojasTKO (punches)Extreme Fighting Sports 2May 18, 201213:12 Gdynia, PolandCatchweight (132 lb) bout.

[45]

Amateur mixed martial arts record

Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss0–1 Joanna Jędrzejczyk Submission (rear-naked choke)Amatorska Liga MMA 18March 4, 201214:18 Sochaczew, Poland

[46]

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References

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  2. ↑ "Invicta FC 9 Results: Barb Honchak Dominates Takayo Hashi". Cage Pages. November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Women's MMA Report: Hashi captures Deep Jewels title, Kowalkiewicz improves to 5-0". MMAjunkie. 30 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Welcome to the UFC: Karolina Kowalkiewicz". UFC.
  5. ↑ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  6. ↑ "Fighting Words: Karolina Kowalkiewicz". invictafc.com. 27 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Karolina Kowalkiewicz MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  8. ↑ "Randa Markos takes on debuting Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC on FOX 17". mmafighting.com. 7 October 2015.
  9. ↑ Ben Fowlkes (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 results: Karolina Kowalkiewicz outworks Randa Markos for decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
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  11. ↑ "UFC Fight Night 87 results: Karolina Kowalkiewicz gets past tough Heather Jo Clark". MMAjunkie. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  12. ↑ Okamoto, Brett (31 July 2016). "Kowalkiewicz takes split decision from Namajunas at UFC 201". espn.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  13. ↑ Mindenhall, Chuck (2016-07-31). "UFC 201 bonuses: Kowalkiewicz, Namajunas get FOTN". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  14. ↑ José Youngs (2016-09-23). "Report: Joanna Jędrzejczyk to defend title against Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 205". fansided.com. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
  15. ↑ FloCombat Staff (4 June 2017). "Claudia Gadelha Submits Karolina Kowalkiewicz At UFC 212". flocombat.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "Karolina Kowalkiewicz meets 6-time Invicta FC vet Jodie Esquibel in Poland". MMAjunkie. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  17. ↑ "UFC Fight Night 118 results: Karolina Kowalkiewicz overwhelms in emotional win Jodie Esquibel". MMAjunkie. 2017-10-21. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
  18. ↑ Ashah Tafari (2018-01-15). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz meets Felice Herrig at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York" (in Swedish). mmanytt. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  19. ↑ "UFC 223 results: Karolina Kowalkiewicz punches past Felice Herrig for split decision". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  20. ↑ Mark Francescutti (2018-07-18). "UFC 228 in Dallas bouts revealed". sportsday.dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-17. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  21. ↑ "UFC 228 results: Jessica Andrade scores thunderous one-punch knockout of Karolina Kowalkiewicz". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
  22. ↑ Jay Anderson (2019-01-08). "Michelle Waterson vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz Added to UFC Philadelphia". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  23. ↑ "UFC Philadelphia: Michelle Waterson picks up huge win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz". MMA Junkie. 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  24. ↑ "Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Alexa Grasso booked for UFC 238". MMA Junkie. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  25. ↑ "UFC 238 results: Alexa Grasso batters Karolina Kowalkiewicz for unanimous decision". MMA Junkie. 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  26. ↑ Martyna Celuch (2019-12-04). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Yan Xiaonan at UFC Auckland". inthecage.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  27. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2020-02-22). "UFC Auckland Results: Yan Xiaonan Dominates Karolina Kowalkiewicz". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  28. ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-06-22). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz treft Jessica Penne op 7 augustus tijdens UFC 265". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  29. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2021-08-07). "UFC 265 Results: Karolina Kowalkiewicz Goes to Ground with Jessica Penne, Pays Price". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  30. ↑ "Felice Herrig vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz 2 official for UFC Fight Night 207". MMA Junkie. 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  31. ↑ Law, Eddie (2022-06-04). "UFC Vegas 56: Karolina Kowalkiewicz Submits Herrig Via RNC, Snaps Losing Streak". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  32. ↑ Steve Duncan (2022-08-18). "Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz agreed for UFC 281". mma.uno. Retrieved 2022-08-18.(in Spanish)
  33. ↑ Val Dewar (2022-11-12). "UFC 281: Karolina Kowalkiewicz Defeats Silvana Gomez Juarez by Decision Despite Scorecard Confusion". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  34. ↑ Nowosielski, Tomasz (2023-02-19). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Vanessa Demopoulos na UFC Fight Night 225 | MMAROCKS". MMA Rocks! (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  35. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (2023-05-19). "UFC Vegas 73 weigh-in results: Mackenzie Dern, Angela Hill hit the mark for headliner, two fighters miss". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  36. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-05-20). "UFC Vegas 73: Karolina Kowalkiewicz Builds on Win Streak, Takes Decision Against Vanessa Demopoulos". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-09-11). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Diana Belbita Booked for UFC Vegas 80". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  38. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-10-07). "UFC Vegas 80: Karolina Kowalkiewicz Fends Off Game Diana Belbita in Active Fight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  39. ↑ Cieśla, Bartosz (2024-01-20). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz zawalczy na UFC 301 w Rio de Janeiro. Rywalka 16 lat młodsza od niej!". MMA PL (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  40. ↑ Robert Sargent (November 2, 2014). "Invicta FC 9 Bonuses: Kowalkiewicz-Inoue Named Fight Of The Night". MMARising.com.
  41. ↑ "Kowalkiewicz walczy z Hashimoto, zawodniczka jest pod opieką endokrynologa i zmieniła dietę" (in Polish). 27 December 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  42. ↑ "Karolina Kowalkiewicz can't even travel after gruesome UFC eye injury". 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  43. ↑ "UFC star Kowalkiewicz hopes MMA career won't be ended by horror eye injury". talkSPORT. 2020-03-07. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  44. ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2020-03-03). "Karolina Kowalkiewicz gives update on eye injury, to undergo surgery Thursday". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  45. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Karolina Kowalkiewicz MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  46. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Karolina Kowalkiewicz MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
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