Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jedrzejczyk share more than just an undefeated mixed martial arts record, a women's title, and a UFC 193 card; these superstars share the same killer instinct that separates them from their respective division's contenders.
"I learn a lot when I watch her," Rousey spoke to Megan Olivi about the Polish MMA fighter.
The UFC Women's Bantamweight champ continued: "To be honest, that we're on the same card I'm bummed out that I'm going to be distracted and focusing on my own thing and I'm not going to be able to sit down and watch like, 'I wonder what she's going to do."
This mutual respect stems from the fact that Jedrzejczyk, like Rousey, is an aggressive fighter who embraces technique and represents the sport to its core.
"I love that Joanna is always going for finishes," said Ronda. "She's not a point-fighter. She's all about being completely dominant at all time. And, she really ties everything together so well that it's not like you're watching a brawl. You're watching really high-level problem solving."
For her part, Joanna Champion - as she is fondly called in the MMA world - also speaks highly of Ronda Rousey.
"I follow Ronda," Jedrzejczyk shared. "I can see myself [in her]."
The strawweight titleholder followed: "She knows the rules. She's a champion and she knows what to do and she keeps on training hard, and doing the same things. Other people, our opponents, they think it's easy to be a champion. It's not. It's all about hard work, and that's all."
It's amazing how undefeated world champions draw inspiration from the simplest of things. At the same time, it's even scarier that said titleholders continue to learn from the best and are just barely scratching the surface in terms of their potential.