Joanna Jedrzejczyk defends UFC belt, remains undefeated

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is smaller in size and stature than her fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship belt-wearer Ronda Rousey.

But like the unbeaten Rousey, Poland’s fast-handed Jedrzejczyk can systematically break down an opponent, even if it is later rather than sooner.

Instead of following Rousey’s lead for a quick finish, Jedrzejczyk (11-0) wore down Canadian challenger Valerie Letourneau, who was game through two rounds before succumbing to the activity of the more thoroughly skilled champion.

The judges awarded Jedrzejczyk a unanimous-decision victory in the five-round strawweight fight by scores of 49-46, 49-46, 50-45 at UFC 193 on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia.

In the first round, Jedrzejczyk was taken to the canvas with the eighth-ranked Letourneau grabbing a leg and looking to land some punches. Letourneau (8-4) then pressed Jedrzejczyk to the cage, defusing the champion’s rapid punches for awhile.

Jedrzejczyk slammed a head-snapping right-footed kick to the challenger’s face as an answer, as Letourneau was left with a corner scolding not to “stand right there,” because of the champion’s speed.

Letourneau smartly kept her distance and actually got the better of some of the limited exchanges with Jedrzejczyk in the second.

In the third, Jedrzejczyk buried a hard right kick to Letourneau’s chest, briefly hurting the challenger. Jedrzejczyk’s quickness, positioning and timing clearly won her the third, with her jab setting the tone and her kicks swelling the challenger’s left leg.

A big right to the face backed up Letourneau in the fourth and despite the urging of Letourneau’s corner to seek a takedown, Jedrzejczyk’s punches and kicks made such an effort futile. The champion landed 150 head strikes.

A big right to the chin by the champion rocked Letourneau, leaving her face a bruised testament to the champion’s talent. Jedrzejczyk continued pounding the face with punches to close her work.

The fight card was watched by the largest live crowd in UFC history at the 70,000-seat Etihad Stadium, surpassing UFC 129 in Toronto, generating $6.77 million in live-gate revenue and more commercial (restaurant/bar) buyers than any other UFC event, company President Dana White told The Times.

The rematch of a riveting 2013 heavyweight slugfest draw started slowly and then was quickly finished by New Zealand’s Mark Hunt.

Hunt decked former heavyweight title contender Antonio Silva with a sudden right hand to the top of the head that fell Silva (19-8).

Hunt threw three punches on the canvas as the referee surged in to stop the fight at the 3-minute 41-second mark of the first round.

“It’s pretty satisfying,” Hunt (11-9-1) said. “I’m fit as a fiddle. … All I can say is I wasn’t going to let it go three rounds.”

Australian welterweight Robert Whittaker (15-4) confronted his opponent, Uriah Hall, with a quick right hand to the head in their bout and his pressure decided a unanimous-decision victory by scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

Hall (13-6) was poked in the eye by a closed fist in the second round, and later pasted Whittaker in the jaw with a left kick as Whittaker showed some signs of fatigue.

“I couldn’t see at all and was completely relying on my instincts,” Hall said.

Whittaker hurt Hall early in the third with a left-handed punch to the face. Hall battled through a swelling left eye, but couldn’t sustain a rally after replacing Whittaker’s original opponent, Michael Bisping.

“I have a default game plan: throw punches,” Whittaker said.

In the pay-per-view opener, heavyweight Jared Rosholt (14-2) won a unanimous decision by three 29-28 scores over veteran Stefan Struve.