Karolina Kowalkiewicz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karolina Kowalkiewicz |
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| Born | October 15, 1985 Łódź, Poland |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Weight | 116 lb (53 kg; 8 st 4 lb) |
| Division | Strawweight (2014–present) Flyweight (2012–2014) |
| Reach | 64 in (163 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Łódź, Poland |
| Team | Shark Top Team Łódź |
| Trainer | Łukasz Zaborowski |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 25 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 12 |
| Losses | 9 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (born October 15, 1985) is a professional mixed martial artist from Poland. She is known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Strawweight division. Before joining the UFC, she was a champion in another fighting organization called KSW.
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Karolina's Fighting Journey
Starting Out in Martial Arts
Karolina Kowalkiewicz began her journey in martial arts when she was sixteen years old. She started by training in Krav Maga, which is a self-defense system. Later, she moved on to Muay Thai, a type of boxing from Thailand. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to become a professional fighter. Before turning pro, she had two amateur fights.
Karolina had her first professional fight in Poland in May 2012. For the next three and a half years, she was undefeated, winning seven fights in a row. She mostly fought for a Polish organization called KSW, where she became the Flyweight champion. She also fought in the United States for Invicta FC in November 2014.
Joining the UFC
In late 2015, Karolina Kowalkiewicz signed with the UFC, which is one of the biggest mixed martial arts organizations in the world. Her first UFC fight was on December 19, 2015, against Randa Markos. Karolina won this fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed she was the winner.
She continued her winning streak in the UFC. On May 8, 2016, she defeated Heather Jo Clark in the Netherlands. Later that year, on July 30, 2016, she had a big win against Rose Namajunas at UFC 201. This victory earned her a chance to fight for the Strawweight title. This exciting fight was even named "Fight of the Night."
Fighting for the Title
Karolina got her chance to fight for the UFC Strawweight title on November 12, 2016, at UFC 205. She faced the champion at the time, Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Karolina fought hard but lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Later UFC Fights
After her title fight, Karolina continued to compete against many top fighters. She faced Cláudia Gadelha in June 2017 and lost by submission. However, she bounced back with wins against Jodie Esquibel in October 2017 and Felice Herrig in April 2018.
She then went through a challenging period, facing tough opponents like Jéssica Andrade (September 2018), Michelle Waterson (March 2019), Alexa Grasso (June 2019), Yan Xiaonan (February 2020), and Jessica Penne (August 2021). She lost these fights, but she never gave up.
Returning to Wins
After a break, Karolina made a strong comeback. On June 4, 2022, she faced Felice Herrig again and won by submission. This victory ended her losing streak. She continued her winning momentum by defeating Silvana Gómez Juárez in November 2022 and Vanessa Demopoulos in May 2023. In her fight against Demopoulos, her opponent weighed in a bit too heavy, so the fight happened at a slightly higher weight. Karolina still won by unanimous decision.
Her winning streak continued when she defeated Diana Belbiţă in October 2023. In 2024, she faced Iasmin Lucindo in May and Denise Gomes in November, losing both fights by unanimous decision. Karolina is scheduled to face Julia Polastri on October 11, 2025.
Achievements and Awards
Karolina Kowalkiewicz has earned several awards and championships throughout her career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- She won "Fight of the Night" once for her exciting match against Rose Namajunas.
- She is tied for having the second most fights in the UFC Women's Strawweight division history, with 18 bouts.
- Invicta Fighting Championships
- She also received a "Fight of the Night" award in Invicta FC.
- Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki
- She was the KSW Flyweight Champion and successfully defended her title once.
- She also earned a "Fight of the Night" award in KSW.
Karolina's Personal Life
In 2019, Karolina was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, a condition that affects the thyroid gland. To manage her symptoms, she works with a special doctor called an endocrinologist and has adopted a vegan diet.
In 2020, during a fight with Yan Xiaonan, Karolina suffered a serious eye injury in the first round. Even with the injury, she bravely continued to fight for the rest of the match. Her injury was so severe that she had to stay in New Zealand for a few days and wear an eye patch. She later shared that a small bone in her eye was broken, causing double vision and blurry sight. She had surgery to insert a titanium plate in her right eye to help it heal.
Images for kids
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Karolina Kowalkiewicz at a weigh-in event.
See also
In Spanish: Karolina Kowalkiewicz para niños
