Former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk suffered her first career loss at UFC 217. It was a stinging loss where she was knocked out in the first round by Rose Namajunas, and subsequently dropped the women’s strawweight title which was in her possession for more than two years.

Many have argued that a loss in such fashion does not warrant Jedrzejczyk an immediate title shot. But according to the Polish striker, her next fight will be for the 115-pound strap.

“I know what I want in life. Just like I’ve done for the last two years, the last 14 years of my career, it will be the same next year,” Jedrzejczyk told InTheCagePL in her native language (translation via FloCombat). “I back up my words — I don’t just talk. I already spoke to the UFC, and my return is set. My next fight will be for the title belt. I don’t know if Rose is going to want to fight in a month, in January or in February. I’ll spend the next two months in Poland with my family.”

"I have a lot of media obligations, [and] I'll be flying out to China in a few days and that’s that,” she added. “This is my time away, my rest. Like I said, if Rose wants to fight in February or March with the first contender available, it doesn’t matter to me if she’ll be wearing the belt or if there will be a new champion. I’m going after what’s mine and that’s the belt.”

Jedrzejczyk also shut down the idea of a tune-up fight, because in her mind, she remains to be the queen of the division.

“I don’t need to have a fight to get ready. It’s not like I wasn’t prepared for that fight. I don’t have any reproach for myself because of it,” Jedrzejczyk said. “I know it looks different from the outside and a loss is a loss. If you weren’t standing there in the Octagon, if you didn’t feel that day and if you didn’t feel that loss, why it ended the way it did… People just don’t know.”

“Rose was very shocked, like the rest of the world. Like I’ve said, she won in a beautiful fashion, but the belt is mine. I’ve built this weight class. I’m the queen of this weight class and I always will be. You can believe it or not.”