Karolina Kowalkiewicztask in UFC 301 it’s something no woman in the company’s history has ever received before.
Former UFC title challenger Kowalkiewicz (16-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is expected to face promising strawweight Iasmin Lucindo (15-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on Saturday at the Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro ( pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+), in what will be the biggest age difference for a women’s fight ever in the Octagon.
Polish Kowalkiewicz, 38, is tasked with facing Lucindo, 22, and finding out if the Brazilian is real. Lucindo was just 13 years old when Kowalkiewicz made her promotional debut in 2015, which means she has all the young people on her side. Kowalkiewicz has many more high-level fights under her belt, however, and she expects this to play a key role in how the competition plays out.
“She’s 16 years younger than me,” Kowalkiewicz told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “She is very young, very talented. It progresses very quickly. This is a big challenge for me. She is very dangerous. I’m more experienced than her. We have similar records, but she didn’t fight big names. I’ve been fighting in the UFC for nine years. I’ve fought four or five world champions. I fought big names in big events. That’s my advantage because I’m more experienced. She’s young, so I have to wait for everything.”
There is perhaps no better time for Kowalkiewicz to take on this challenge. She is currently on a four-fight winning streak, which was a great turnaround from the five-fight losing skid she encountered in 2018-2021 that sparked retirement rumors.
However, if Kowalkiewicz can extend her streak against Lucindo, she will be back in the conversation about fighting legitimate opponents in the 115-pound division. She said she’s not overthinking what’s at stake when she enters the Octagon because that mindset has led to all of her recent success.
“This win is very important to me – but I don’t want to feel pressure,” said Kowalkiewicz. “I want to have fun – have fun and make some money. I treat the fight like every fight: if I win it will be cool. It’s going to be very cool. If she wins, fine, good for her. But I hope to win and this is a big challenge for me to fight with the new generation.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 301.
