5 Things You Might Not Know About Karolina Kowalkiewicz

You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Advertisement

Despite losing her last bout in devastating fashion, Polish strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz will step inside the Octagon this weekend as a slight favorite over Michelle Waterson. Ahead of their crucial encounter at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for UFC on ESPN 2, here are five things you might not know about the Shark Top Team standout.

She was the first ever KSW women’s champion.

KSW is widely regarded as Poland’s premier mixed martial arts organization. It was founded in 2004 and is still up and running to this day, with a total of over 50 events. After fighting on a card called Extreme Fighting Sports 2, Kowalkiewicz was signed by KSW, where she fought five times before getting the call from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She defeated Marta Chojnoska by rear-naked choke at KSW 23 to become the promotion’s inaugural women’s champion. Kowalkiewicz successfully defended her title once before vacating it to join the UFC.

Given the chance, she’d love to try being a travel show host.

Kowalkiewicz gushes at the idea of her being a travel show host, citing author and television host Martyna Wojciechowska as one of her inspirations. Wojciechowska is very popular in Poland and is currently doing hosting duties for a documentary series called “Woman at the End of the World,” where she travels to different parts of the globe to show the daily lives of women who live there.

She has her share of doubters.

Unlike many professional fighters, Kowalkiewicz started doing combat sports rather late. This is why she is used to encountering doubters who think she’s too old to compete in the sport. Her initial foray into fighting is Krav Maga, which isn’t even classified as a fight sport. However, she credits the Israeli self-defense system for her unique style and her vicious elbows. Even after making it to the UFC, she said some doubters never stopped.

Her fight career ends when motherhood begins.

Fans could be seeing the final years of her MMA career as Kowalkiewicz recently mentioned plans of having a baby. When that happens, she might have to hang up her gloves. The Polish fighter said that while she wants to have children, she still plans on fighting for about three more years. Her exact retirement timeline depends on how she fares in her upcoming bouts.

She admits to having a weird collection.

Kowalkiewicz owns a collection of green bottles from beverages she consumed. No matter if it’s beer, wine or water, as long as the bottle is green then she would take them home. A more normal collection stems from her aforementioned love of traveling. She brings back small souvenirs every time she visits a new place.